Three humans end up in Ponyville after a cross-dimensional boundary failure, and must adjust to life in Equestria.
After a series of unfortunate events, Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame end up transported to Ponyville, putting Gensokyo in mortal danger. However, they didn't expect to have a third human joining them - A man in a uniform, whose humanity is debatable.
Can they survive the perils of Equestria until Yukari finally wakes up and figures out they're missing? Will the mystery of Mobius One ever be solved? How is he such a badass pilot, like an airborne Stig?
And can Reimu and Marisa live with him and each other without going absolutely insane?
"So, this is it, huh?" the ordinary magician Marisa Kirisame observed, looking over the large town, and it's white, hay-roofed buildings. She adjusted her footing on the hill. "We got shafted big time, eh?"
"Look," Reimu Haukrei replied, putting her hand on Marisa's shoulder and looking out to the cloudy afternoon sky. "I don't know why Yukari took Eirin's drugs, or why the Moriya Shrine got involved...or why the shrine then exploded."
"Flandre. And magic or something."
"Alright, Flandre Scarlet escaped..." Reimu remembered as best she could, rubbing her chin. "So then Yukari ripped gaps all over the place."
"We fell in," Marisa muttered, turning around. "And then we met this guy."
Marisa pointed towards the man in a flight suit. His visor obscured his eyes, he had strange emblems on his arms and he was trying to eat a chocolate bar through a rubber mask covering his face.
"His suit says 'Mobius One' on it. Until he speaks, I'm just callin' him that," Marisa commented. Mobius One did not protest.
"So, now we're trapped here..." Reimu said, looking out over the town's unusual style - These were not Gensokyan buildings. She estimated that it was around late afternoon, and unlike Gensokyo, the season was Autumn. "Looks peaceful enough."
"Yeah...We just gotta hold tight for when Yukari realises her screw up and brings us back, right?" Marisa stated, brushing some petals from her white apron.
"Not likely. She sleeps a lot...imagine how long she's sleeping after those drugs..."
"Damn," Marisa sighed. She pointed behind herself at Mobius. "You think he's housetrained?"
"Marisa, don't be stupid."
Mobius One put up his hand and waved it.
"I think he's saying 'no offence taken.'" Marisa translated. Mobius One nodded.
"Well, that's good then," Reimu replied. "Well...there's nothing left to do but see if the local inhabitants are friendly. I'm not in the mood for a fight today."
"I guess," Marisa said. She whistled three times rapidly and beckoned. "Come on, Mobius."
"He's not a dog, Marisa."
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cried out, lunging for the filly. "Don't touch that fabric!"
"Why?"
"I had it imported from a country that doesn't exist any more! It's extremely rare!"
"Okay, sis," Sweetie replied, before running from the beautiful boutique. Rarity smiled as her troublesome little sister ran outside to play with her friends.
Rarity stood at her hoof-powered sewing machine. Using her telekinesis, she levitated a mug of coffee to her lips and took a large mouthful of the strong, bitter drink. She faced the medium-sized window and took some time to look out. She could see only a flower-filled rolling hill, the darkening blue sky, petals flying into the sky, the biped in a large witches' hat...
Rarity double-took.
There was another being. One wearing red and white clothes, with a neat, dark brown mane, which supported a large red bow. Rarity noticed that its clothing was broken up - her sleeves were detached from her dress, and her legs ended in very clunky brown shoes. It appeared to be arguing furiously with the black and white one, who wore an oversized dress which ended mere inches from the floor, uncovered arms and she had a waist-length, extremely messy mane.
Rarity dropped the fine purple thread and the black coffee, completely unsure quite what she was seeing.
"Have I gone mad!?" Rarity whispered to herself. "What are those? They walk like minotaurs, but they have the figure of...something I've never seen."
There was a third now. It was different. It had no face, and most of it was covered in navy blue clothing. It wore a helmet Rarity only saw Wonderbolts wearing in war movies, and it had no mouth, just a black mask.
Rarity could hear their conversation even through the window. How were they speaking her language?!
"...All I'm saying is that if these guys aren't friendly, then we'll have to blast them!" the black-white explained. Rarity noted her animated movements - Her way of exaggerating her words with her hands and arms. Her facial expressions were just as animated, and she moved very fast, despite her clothing.
"That's not the point! You're saying that we hunt them down and shoot them...and I don't want to do that because that takes time!" the red-white said. She seemed more calm and collected. Unaffected. Completely apathetic to how close the black-white's movements came to striking her. Her movements were more calculated. Refined.
"Ugh. Mobius, what do you think?"
The being looked towards the two female-sounding alien creatures, before pointing towards the black-white female. Rarity backed away slowly, shaking her head.
"See, Mobius agrees with me!"
"Okay, fine. But don't just think that anyone here is just going to turn around and shoot us. They'd shoot you first."
There was a knock on the door. Rarity's heart pounded. She decided there was only one thing to do.
"The sign says 'open for business,' Marisa," the second female, Reimu replied. Rarity padded forward, locking her face into a service smile.
"Hello!" Rarity greeted. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique!"
"Hello." Reimu said. Rarity was surprised at the casual tone of the red-white's voice.
"What the hell is this?" Marisa stated flatly. Mobius wasn't reacting at all.
"Marisa, shush," Reimu snapped. She began slowly approaching Rarity. "So, where are we?"
"You're from out of town?"
"We could easily be from out of anything. It's a long story, Miss..?"
"Oh! My manners!" Rarity smiled at the being, whose expression remained completely neutral - Almost unimpressed. Rarity! You have to step it up if you're going to impress her!. "My name is Rarity, master dressmaker. Is there anything at all I can help you with?"
Marisa still watched silent, not entirely sure how to act.
"So, Rarity," Reimu pointed at Rarity. "What is this place?"
"Ponyville," Rarity answered. "Do you need any directions?"
"Not right now," Reimu answered. "But we need answers."
"Like what?"
"Where are we?"
Rarity dropped the smile and dropped her 'service accent.' "Ponyville, District of Canterlot, Equestria."
"That narrows it down to..." Reimu wondered, hand over mouth, deep in thought. "Nowhere I know. So not only has Yukari dumped us in a strange place, we're in a strange place we know absolutely nothing about, with a species I've never seen before, and with a silent guy and Marisa for company."
"Well, that's absolutely frickin' fantastic!" Marisa boomed, throwing her arms up into the air.
"Yukari?" Rarity asked.
"Uh, long story." Reimu replied quickly. Might not be a good idea to mention the boundary ripping Youkai yet.
"Okay..." Rarity responded. She decided it wasn't worth pursuing the subject yet.
"Is there anywhere we can stay where we won't cause a problem?" Reimu asked. "If there's any problems, it never ends well for the people we face."
"Yeah. Threaten her life. That will help," Marisa jeered.
"First warning," Reimu growled, deploying her gohei from her left sleeve.
"Well...actually..." Rarity said, staring at Reimu's gohei nervously. "I think my home is the only place you can stay. The town would explode in panic if you were to be seen."
"Makes sense," Marisa whispered to herself.
"So, is there a guest bedroom anywhere?" Reimu asked.
"I do have a guest bedroom...but there is only one bed," Rarity answered, her eyes switching to the tall human admiring one of her dresses on display. He had said absolutely nothing during the entire conversation.
"I call dibs on the bed!" Marisa declared loudly, putting her arm in the air and jumping.
"I wanted the bed!" Reimu retorted.
"Fine. We'll share it."
"What?!" Reimu cried in disbelief.
"I'm fine with it," Marisa suggested, smiling mischievously. "Eh, we'll cross the bridge when we come to it."
"What about Mobius?" Reimu asked, turning to the pilot.
"Yeah, where's he gonna go?"
Mobius looked around, before pointing to the floor.
"You'll sleep on the floor?" Rarity asked. Mobius nodded. "No no no! I can't have that!"
Mobius waved his hand. Rarity stared at his fingers, fascinated. She had seen fingers before, on minotaurs like that washed-up action star-turned-motivational speaker Iron Will. They weren't alien to her by any means, but the fingers on these beings were certainly unusual.
"I think that means he's fine with it," Marisa translated for the voiceless man.
"How do you know?" Reimu interrogated, crossing her arms.
"If he weren't, he wouldn't be on the floor right now."
The two girls looked at Mobius One, now curled up on the floor.
Reimu, Rarity and Marisa looked at each other awkwardly.
"I take back the dog comment." Reimu whispered quietly. She turned to Rarity. "Thanks."
"It's no problem at all, dear," Rarity said. "I'm glad to help. How long will you be staying?"
"Until someone realizes we're here and corrects her mistakes," Reimu replied. She swung her gohei into her other hand, with enough force to make a soft smack noise. It grew in intensity as she swung more and more, eventually leaving a red mark on her palm.
"And that somebody is getting danmaku to the face..." Marisa grumbled under her breath, her arms folded.
"So, how long will that be?" Rarity questioned. "It's just that I normally use the guest room for storage, not to mention the fact that I must also conceal your existence until I am able to soften the town to the news."
"Shouldn't be any longer than a week. Even if Yukari doesn't realize in time, somebody will tell her eventually."
"So, let's go see what this guest bedroom is like," Marisa stated, closing the front door.
"So what do you think?" Rarity asked, hoping for the humans' approval.
"I like it," Reimu observed, hands on hips, looking around the light pink wallpapered room, checking the bed, the bookcase and the carpeting. "It's very cozy. The ceiling is a bit low, but I can deal with that."
"Was this bed made for children?!" Marisa complained, sizing up the small single bed.
"Well...it wasn't made for somepony your height..."
"Oh. Guess that makes sense," Marisa realized, lying down on the bed, her legs awkwardly hanging from the edge. "Hey, this bed's pretty nice."
"Again, we will only be here for a short time. Trust me when I say I don't wish to be here."
"It's alright. I think I can hide you long enough," Rarity replied, walking backwards out of the room. "Well, make yourselves at home."
With that, Rarity left the room, closing the door. Reimu sat on the floor, and held her head in her hands.
"This isn't a good situation," Reimu mumbled.
"Yeah?" Marisa replied, her hat now resting on the floor. "Any other news?"
"Yukari's gotta realize her mistake soon..." Reimu moaned, looking at the witch. "I mean, somebody's going to notice that I'm missing, right? Suika, maybe...and Alice is going to notice you're gone."
"She'll only notice when she signs, like, ten parcels for me and realizes that I haven't collected any of them," Marisa said. "We got a mail-share thing going."
"So..." Reimu uttered, biting her lip. "How is the bed situation going to work?"
"I thought about having it on a timeshare," Marisa articulated, running her fingers through her hair. "I'll flip a coin, and whoever wins gets the bed tonight."
"Have you got a coin?"
Marisa got up and reached behind Reimu's ear, before producing a bit. "I do now."
"Heads or tails?" Reimu asked.
"Heads," Marisa said confidently. She flipped the coin in the air before grabbing it, and placing it flat on the top of her wrist. She uncovered the golden coin.
The picture of a sun and moon was face up, as opposed to the pony head the opposite side.
"Best out of three?" Marisa offered.
"Nope. Have fun on the floor with Mobius," Reimu replied, pushing past Marisa and jumping up onto the bed.
"Come on, Reimu!" Marisa whined.
"Maybe you can use that giant hat as a blanket," Reimu joked, smiling.
"Hey!"
"Oh come on, I'm only messing with you..." Reimu responded.
"So, what am I going to do?"
"You could kinda snuggle up to Mobius and leech his body heat."
"No thanks."
"Alright..." Reimu said. She looked around the room. "I'm bored."
"Me too. Let's see if there's a pack of cards anywhere..." Marisa wondered out loud, looking through a small bookcase the opposite side of the room. "I hope Mobius knows how to play."
Almost on cue, Mobius One entered the room, and sat down next to Reimu.
"Hey, Moby. You know how to play blackjack?" Marisa questioned, eventually finding a deck. "Sweet. Rarity has cards."
Mobius One nodded, before putting two fingers up, before lowering one, and then giving a thumbs up.
"Uhh..." Marisa stuttered, sitting down opposite Mobius and Reimu. "Good, I guess."
Marisa dealt out the cards, and smiled. She was the absolute best at cards.
Marisa held her head and frowned. She was the absolute worst at cards.
She looked over at the piles of books they were using as betting money - There were thirty-five total in the shelf. Marisa had three, Reimu had seven, and Mobius had twenty-five.
"How are you winning!?" Marisa finally blurted out at Mobius. "Tell me your secrets!"
Mobius simply continued staring at his cards. He offered five books.
"Oh screw it. I'm done with this game," Marisa snapped, putting her final three books in.
"Yeah, me too," Reimu agreed, putting her seven books in.
Mobius nodded, and put the rest of his books in. The three humans stared each other down as Marisa dealt the cards. Reimu looked at her cards - ten and eight. Marisa stared at hers - three and two.
Mobius blankly stared at his cards - ace, and five. He tapped the floor, and Marisa handed him another card - Another five.
Reimu held her hand up. "Hold."
Marisa gave herself another card. She looked at it, and added the numbers up in her head. Eleven, three and two. That's sixteen.
She gave herself another card.
Sixteen plus nine equals...DAMMIT.
"Bust!" Marisa declared, throwing her cards to the floor.
"I've got eighteen," Reimu stated, flipping her cards face up.
Both girls turned to look at Mobius One, and were sure of one thing:
Under that mask, he was grinning. And in his hands were three cards that added up to twenty-one.
Marisa's expression fell, while Reimu clapped slowly.
"Damn!" Marisa shouted, standing up. "How'd you do that!?"
Mobius mentally snickered to himself. Under his mask, he flashed a conservative smile. These wingmen are good.
"Well, good game," Reimu smiled, standing up herself, and looking out the window. The sky was beginning to darken. "I think we easily killed two hours."
"Good..." Marisa groaned, watching Mobius clean up the cards and books. She wiped her brow, and turned to her fellow resolver. "You reckon Mobius has anybody missing him?"
"Everybody will be missed by somebody," Reimu whispered, leaning on the window. "The point is, will anybody miss us enough?"
"Sure they will!" Marisa shouted. "There's most likely thousands of people looking for us right now!"
"Sure there is, Marisa," Reimu replied, putting her hand on Marisa's shoulder. "Sure there is."
Marisa turned around, to see Mobius' glove on her other shoulder. She looked up at the fighter pilot. He gave a thumbs up in his other hand.
"Yeah. I bet we won't even be here the night!" Marisa declared. She knew however, that it was not likely.
Remilia Scarlet stared at her tea. Normally, she would be pleased to have it...but recent events had spoiled her appetite for red tea. She flapped her batlike wings twice, and shifted uneasily on her throne. She stared at the large oak doors in front of her, engraved with the Scarlet family insignia, and held her head in her hands.
"How could there have been a massive lapse of security!?" she shouted at nobody in particular, slamming the table next to her hard enough to flip it over and send the red tea all over the dull brown carpeting. She looked up again, to see the chief maid before her.
"What's the news?" Remilia asked. She looked behind the maid. "Please tell me...that you found her."
The maid tugged her collar nervously. "Mistress...we couldn't find Flandre."
Remilia watched the maid flinch in expectation of physical punishment, before she realized it was not forthcoming. "So, she's missing, presumed destroying everything everywhere." Remilia whispered, images of that bloody, dreadful night five hundred years ago replaying in her mind. The spectral sounds of the screams, the explosions, and of Flandre's innocent laughter punctuating the air as danmaku flew through the skies played through the vampire's mind. It made Remilia shudder, despite herself.
"I am afraid so, Mistress."
"Has the shrine maiden responded, Ms. Izayoi?" Remilia questioned, rubbing her temples.
"She has gone missing too. The black-white witch was also not home, and her neighbor did not know of her whereabouts," Sakuya stated, looking at her shoes. "I believe that after the Class One Incident last night, they were unfortunate victims of the Gap Abductions. Many are missing, including the contingent of guards we sent out to subdue Flandre. If they have not been disappeared, they should be resurrected by now."
"How many did we lose?"
"At least one hundred and twenty fairies were sent out..." Sakuya answered. "A head count afterwards confirmed that at least seventy fairies have not returned yet."
"...Sakuya, use everything you have. I don't care what you must do - Engage in the darkest arts, commit the most devilish sins. Just bring my sister home," Remilia ordered, attempting to mask the fear she felt for her little sister. "And I do not even have to tell you to be careful."
"Yes, my mistress. It will be done," Sakuya answered, before standing to attention and marching away.
Remilia stared at the stained carpet and shook her head slowly. "Such a waste of perfectly good tea..."
Rarity paced up and down the living room. Sweetie Belle would be home in a matter of minutes. Normally, Rarity would be annoyed at her for violating her curfew, but there were other, more important things. How was she to explain that three aliens have taken residence in the guest bedroom?
She was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of the door opening and closing. A girlish song filled the room as Sweetie Belle wandered in, humming a strange tune.
"Sweetie Belle..." Rarity started slowly, sitting on the couch. The filly turned around.
"Hey, sis!"
"I have to tell you something...sit down," Rarity pointed at the couch. Sweetie did as told. "Sweetie...you have to believe me when I say what I'm about to say. You must not tell anypony else, and you must keep this secret from everypony - your friends, our parents, your teacher. Everypony."
"Okay, I promise," Sweetie replied slowly, concerned about her sister's sudden serious attitude.
"I saw three aliens - Bipeds...they had nowhere to stay."
"What."
"Sweetie Belle, please don't panic...should I fetch one to see you?" Rarity asked. Sweetie Belle nodded quickly, a curious expression on her face.
Rarity walked briskly to the guest bedroom, and sighed. She lightly rapped the door with her hoof.
"Yeah?" Marisa greeted, opening the door to Rarity with a glass of wine in one hand and a still-dripping cleaning mop in the other. "What do you want?"
"Uhh..." Rarity stuttered, staring past Marisa to Mobius sitting on the bed, combing Reimu's hair. "It's my sister."
"And?"
"She wants to meet one of you," Rarity explained.
"Alright, sure. Where's the squirt?" Marisa agreed, closing the door behind her. Rarity looked at the mop in her hand.
"...Is that my mop? And my wine?"
"Yeah. I lost my old one, and a magician always carries a broom," Marisa answered. "I promise I'll give it back once I die."
"I'd prefer for my mop to be returned immediately," Rarity sneered.
"Okay, okay..." Marisa replied, still holding the mop. She peeked around the corner, and saw the white filly. She took a sip of the wine before she handed her drink to Rarity. "Hold my drink!"
"Marisa, what are you-"
Marisa hopped up onto the broom and with a devious grin, she sped down the hallway. Rarity stared in shock at the magic ability of the biped - and she had flight abilities too.
"What the fuchsia?!" Sweetie Belle yelled, remembering to censor herself, jumping out of the way. Marisa stopped the broom suddenly, and looked down at the filly.
"Hey kid!" Marisa greeted loudly. "The name's Marisa Kirisame! I heard you were curious about me!"
"Sweetie Belle," the filly introduced herself, standing up. "Did you really need to do that?"
"I love making an entrance!" Marisa said, dropping to the ground, and kicking the mop into the air, before catching it with her left hand. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"Well...what are you?"
"Me? I'm a human." Marisa stated proudly, her hands on her hips.
"Cool!"
"It is, right?" Marisa smiled, lowering herself towards the filly, which to Marisa, was no larger than a medium sized terrier. She jumped backwards onto the couch. "So, what do you want to know?"
"Well, where do you come from?"
"Ah..." Marisa rubbed the back of her head in thought. "Well, I come from a place called the Forest of Magic. It's a big forest filled with weird things."
"Like the Everfree?" Sweetie suggested.
"Is that a big forest filled with weird things?" Marisa asked for clarification. She noticed Rarity and Reimu keeping an eye on her around the corner, but said nothing.
"Yeah!"
"Alright, it's exactly like the Everfree," Marisa agreed. "So I have my house right in the middle of this place, because taxes."
"Isn't that illegal?" Sweetie wondered. "Miss Cheerilee said we should never skip taxes."
"Miss Cheerilee clearly has money to spend on taxes," Marisa retorted.
"How come you don't?"
"Incident resolvers don't get paid much, if ever," Marisa admitted. "Especially me, because it's not even my job. It's Reimu's."
"Who's Reimu?"
"She's the girl I'm with. Red and white clothing. She's a shrine maiden, and it's her job to ensure the peace is kept," Marisa explained, watching said shrine maiden in the corner of her eye.
"How does she do that?"
Marisa smiled. "With the art of danmaku. It's magical energy, focused into creating intricate bullet patterns, designed to put the enemy into position to finish them off. I would say it's the ultimate art form," Marisa relaxed on the couch. "It's easily the best part of my day when I get to use it."
"Wow!" Sweetie gasped in wonder. "Can anypony do it?"
"It takes a lot of training, kid. Years of it..." Marisa said. "If your sister would let me, I'd help you."
"No you won't!" Reimu yelled, running into the room. "We don't need these guys throwing danmaku around too. It's bad enough that I have to deal with it at home!"
"That's Reimu, by the way," Marisa whispered to Sweetie, before she felt Reimu's hand on her collar.
"Come on, it's past your bed time Marisa..." Reimu grunted, dragging the witch back to the guest bedroom. "You need sleep or you become a weirdo trying to teach children deadly martial arts..."
Sweetie saw Marisa shrugging at her, before she turned the corner. She looked past her sister.
"Aww! I wanted to learn this 'danmaku' thing!" Sweetie complained loudly, before pouting. "I never get anything fun to play with..."
"Huh...uhh..." the girl panted, looking at the ground. She stood up, and looked at her muddy knees. Tutting, she wiped away most of the dirt. Despite the late hour, she could see clear as day. The streets below her vantage point were empty and lit only sparsely by oil lamps.
Flandre Scarlet licked her fangs, accidentally cutting her tongue open on the sharp protrusion. However, no blood escaped.
She giggled to herself as she advanced towards the town. After the excitement of last night, she really wanted to go home. She knew her older sister would be very angry with her, and that Sakuya would be angry too, but Flandre felt it was worth it for the one night of freedom. She skipped along merrily, humming her favorite song as she did so.
She felt a disturbance in the air. Looking up to where the perceived threat was, she noticed a strange creature. It had a good wingspan for a creature its size. Of course, Flandre was only interested in one thing.
It could be a new friend.
Flandre flapped her stick-like wings and took flight, a colored trail behind her.
"Air Patrol 93, reporting nothing," the bored, jet black pegasus stallion muttered into a helmet mounted radio. "Nothing...as usual."
Flandre approached her target. She narrowed her eyes as the airspeed increased. She flew past the pegasus quickly, throwing him off course.
"Woah!" he shouted. "This is Air Patrol 93, unidentified flying object just buzzed me!"
"What?" the air control replied. "Describe the UFO!"
"UFO is trailing separated rainbow pattern..." the pegasus activated a speaker system. "Rainbow Dash, is that you?!"
"No..." Flandre replied, stopping before the pegasus. "My name is Flandre...do you want to play...just for a while?"
The stallion was unprepared for Flandre's sudden advance.
A blood-curdling cry filled the sky, followed by a child's innocent laughter.
"Air Patrol 93! Respond!"
"Hey, Marisa?" Reimu whispered, sitting up in her bed. "You asleep?"
"Yeah..." Marisa muttered in reply, resting her head on Mobius' torso, her hat covering her own torso.
"How come you replied?"
"...Shut up," Marisa snapped back. She looked up at Reimu on the bed. "What?"
"I can't sleep...Thinking about home."
"Well, the solution there, Hakurei..." Marisa moaned. "Is to close your eyes, lie down, and don't talk to people who were already sleeping."
"Well..."
"Because," Marisa interrupted. "It might piss off a witch and when a witch gets annoyed, she likes to shoot people!"
"Seriously-"
Marisa fired a single small star at Reimu. The shrine maiden quickly dodged it, before staring daggers at the other girl.
"You realize we're guests, right!?"
"Whatever. Yukari's coming soon..."
"That's the point. What if she doesn't?" Reimu wondered, lying back down and covering herself more with the blanket and sighing. "We're already in a Class Zero Incident."
"Oh yeah..." Marisa mumbled half-awake. "That stupid grading system you made up."
"You realise that Class Zero is the most serious?"
"Educate my sleeping body." Marisa grumbled. "And take that statement how you will."
"Marisa, no." Reimu said, pinching her nose. "Just...no."
Reimu turned towards the wall and sighed, before closing her eyes again.
Mobius continued to stare at the ceiling.
There's trouble in the skies...another pilot is in trouble...
Mobius waited until Marisa was snoring again, before putting a pile of books beneath her head. He opened the door slowly, and walked out. Looking up and down the corridor, he marched towards the front door.
I have to save him...
Opening the door quickly, he took off on a full sprint. He looked to the skies, and saw a line of red danmaku.
There.
He saw an impact. He began sprinting as hard as possible down the streets of Ponyville.
He eventually saw what he was looking for.
A wounded pegasus stallion, throwing his helmet off his head.
"Uhh...who are you?" the stricken patrolpony moaned. Mobius said nothing as he picked him up, and began walking back towards Rarity's house. He continued his stride towards the boutique.
The pegasus became more concerned. "Where are you taking me!?"
Mobius looked down at his fellow flier, and he nodded. Finally arriving at Rarity's home once more, Mobius One set the pegasus down on the sofa, and turned the lights on.
The pegasus was a mess. There were several wounds on his body, which while not dangerous, were noticeably bleeding. His eyes were bruised and his lip was bloodied.
Mobius shook his head, and looked at the flier.
What is your name?
Huh?" the pegasus replied. "How did you-"
Not important. Name.
"Thunderlane..." he replied.
Mobius One.
"What are you?!" Thunderlane cried, retreating from Mobius.
Not important. You have been shot down.
"Yeah...you noticed, huh?"
Who did this?
"I didn't see her...she called herself Flandre though..."
Flandre. Flandre...the witch will know.
"What witch?" Thunderlane asked. Mobius turned around and headed for the guest bedroom. "No wait...don't leave me alone!"
Mobius opened the door again. He knelt by Marisa and roughly shook her awake.
"What?!" Marisa growled. "Mobius, what do you want!?"
Mobius beckoned for her to follow him.
"Why?"
Mobius stared.
"Oh, alright then..." Marisa said, standing up, using her hat to cover herself. She rooted around on the floor for her shirt.
"Could you turn around, Mobius?"
Mobius did as asked. Marisa dropped the hat, and hurridly put the shirt over herself. "Alright, where's the fire?"
Mobius led Marisa to the living room, where Thunderlane lay on the couch, blood starting to stain the cream cushions. Marisa ran to his side.
Ask her about Flandre.
"Are you the witch he was talkin' about?" Thunderlane groaned.
"Wait, talking?" Marisa questioned, turning to Mobius. He shook his head.
"Yeah...he wants to know if you know anything about a 'Flandre.'"
Marisa's expression dropped.
"Flandre?" she stuttered. Reimu was right. It was a true Class Zero Incident.
Tell her.
"Some...thing called Flandre took me down...about five minutes ago...your buddy here saved my life."
"Really?" Marisa replied. "That's why I woke up on a pile of books..."
"Yeah...he found me, and carried me here...Listen, you got any bandages for these? I'd hate to get blood all over the place."
Do not worry about that. There is a new threat to the skies.
"Wait..." Marisa realized. "I heard you then..."
It is a long story, Marisa.
"I've got time," Marisa answered.
...Radio failure.
"Ugh..." Marisa pouted. "Mobius, get Rarity, now!"
Mobius turned around and began walking towards the master bedroom. Marisa turned her attention to the fallen flier.
"So, Flandre...did you get a good look at her?"
"No...all I saw was red everywhere, and some rainbow patterns."
"You're lucky to be alive right now." Marisa stated. "She normally kills who she faces. I was an exception."
"You fought that beast?" Thunderlane asked. He could swear he heard another voice earlier...but he could not remember.
"Beat her at her own game." Marisa said proudly. "So...she's here too..."
Marisa walked calmly away from the room, passing by Mobius and Rarity.
"Hey..." Thunderlane coughed. "Real sorry about the blood. I'll clean it."
"Never mind that, dear..." Rarity replied. "Wait, Thunderlane?"
"Rarity?"
"It..." Rarity thought back to the time at the academy where the stallion before her rescued her from a terrible death. "Looks like it's my turn to save you now."
"Heh. Swings and roundabouts." Thunderlane laughed weakly. "And I couldn't have asked for a better nurse."
Marisa appeared again, with her clothes in total disarray, and Rarity's mop in her hand.
"I gotta go stop Flandre!" Marisa excused herself, only to be stopped by Mobius' hand on her shoulder. "What?!"
Take me with you.
"Huh!?" Marisa gasped. Thunderlane gave her an odd look.
I want revenge for a fellow pilot.
"Can you shoot?" Marisa asked. "Because I won't let you just try and attack that girl with your bare hands."
"How can you do that?" Marisa wondered. "Wait...levitate the broom, but you use your own...magic, I guess, to channel the flight energy through the broom. So I keep you in the air, but you then take over..."
...Affirmative.
"You can fly, then?"
Affirmative. Give permission for take-off.
Outside, Marisa held the mop to her side, and waited for Mobius to mount the mop. She focused her magic, and felt Mobius' body weight disappear. She then hopped up behind the pilot, and wrapped her legs around the mop. She focused her energy again, and the mop lifted into the night sky.
Mobius looked around at the lights of the town below him.
Just like San Salvacion...
"What?" Marisa asked.
Radio failure.
"So, Rarity..." Thunderlane coughed as Rarity opened her first aid box. "Didn't expect me to literally drop in, huh?"
"I did not, Thunderlane..." Rarity replied, applying a roll of bandage to Thunderlane's foreleg with her magic. "If only it had been under better circumstances than 'Almost murdered by an alien...'"
"I know, right?" Thunderlane laughed again. "Life really has a way of rewarding my screw ups though."
"How so?"
"I get shot down...and I get you by my side."
Rarity blushed. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Thunderlane..."
"What's going on?" Reimu asked sleepily, walking into the room wearing her blanket like a robe, and rubbing her eyes.
"From what I gathered from Marisa and Mobius One's furious gesturing, somepony called 'Flandre' has come here. They've set off to fight her."
Reimu stared at Rarity.
"You're kidding me," Reimu groaned, pinching her nose and sighing. "Out of all the...Give me a minute..."
"I'm handing control over to you!" Marisa shouted against the sound of the wind. "Don't fly us into a building or something."
Bandit confirmed at vector one-twenty, on the nose.
"Huh?" Marisa replied. She summoned her spell circle. "I wish I dressed up a bit here. It's real cold."
Bandit at twelve o'clock.
Mobius One began accelerating towards the rainbow pattern in front of him. He could see the target clearly - Red dress and stick-like wings...
Flandre zoomed past them. Mobius One and Marisa turned around to meet the vampire.
Sakuya had looked everywhere. She had alerted every possible person in Gensokyo. The tengu had volunteered to fly in search of Flandre. The Human Village was under complete lockdown.
Gensokyo, for the first time in many years, had stopped completely on the account of one person.
Sakuya blinked her tired eyes, and yawned.
"No...you must stay awake...she could be here at any moment..." Sakuya whispered to herself.
It was too much. The strain of the night had sapped all energy from Sakuya, and she collapsed, sitting upright against a tree.
Rarity tuned the radio with her magic. Reimu still hadn't returned from what she said she needed to do.
"...Ponyville Radio 24-hour news. We have breaking news."
Rarity settled down next to the radio, watching the sleeping Thunderlane on the sofa. The prescription painkillers she had given had knocked him out.
"It is now 12:05 AM Canterlot Standard Time. Ponyville Air Defense Forces have been scrambled from Hoofton AFB," the male newsreader stated. "Fighting has broken out despite the early hour..."
Marisa fired a stream of danmaku through the sky at Flandre. The young vampire gasped and flew out of harm's way. Mobius One began pursuing her despite her low altitude.
"Mobius! Pull up!"
No need.
Flandre suddenly flew upwards again, as the sound of another being flew past Marisa and Mobius.
"Commence Operation Firefly!" a male voice ordered. "All units are cleared to engage at will!"
"Bandit is in my sights!" Mobius heard a friendly pilot say through his own helmet, before there was a sound of heavy gunfire. Mobius watched the tracers fly towards Flandre, who avoided the bullets effortlessly, laughing as she did so.
"Don't fly in a straight line!" another ordered. Mobius saw the other pilots.
Five pegasi, with hoof mounted guns, and two small missiles attached to their underside. Mobius looked at all five of them in formation.
There was a flash of red in the sky, before a scream.
"I'm going down!" a pilot yelled, before Mobius saw two missiles fly from a rapidly descending pegasus. Both of them flew towards Flandre, before exploding harmlessly in front of her. The friendly pilots broke formation to attack Flandre.
"Mobius!" Marisa shouted. "Brace yourself!"
Marisa breathed in, and aimed her mini-Hakkero at Flandre. She adjusted her aim, and waited for the friendly pilots to get out of the way.
"Master Spark!" Marisa yelled, as a large multicolored laser cleaved the sky in two towards Flandre.
"...Throughout history, Ponyville has been the site of many battles...fighting has broken out in Ponyville again."
"Holy- Are you seeing this?!" one pilot yelled down the line, looking at the Master Spark laser.
"By Luna, it's glorious!" another pilot whispered, still pursuing Flandre.
"Don't get distracted, Rapier 2!" a female voice shouted down the radio. "Where's the Wonderbolts?!"
"You can't rely on the Wonderbolts to do everything!"
"Die you S.O.B!" the radio cried, the sound of missiles deploying.
Flandre turned around and caught the incoming missiles, before throwing them down to earth. She mentally locked onto all the pegasi. She laughed, before splitting into four versions of herself and unleashing a wave of danmaku towards the unprepared pilots.
There were two screams down the radio, before silence.
"We've lost contact with Rapier 2!"
"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I've been hit!" a pilot shouted desperately.
One of the pilots locked onto a Flandre clone, before firing her missiles. The clone turned around too late, and was completely engulfed in the explosion.
"Rapier 3 shot one down!" the squadron leader cheered, firing his gun at another Flandre and ripping her into two bloodless pieces. "Heh heh! I got one!"
"The only things visible in the dark are the tracers, enemy fire and explosions..." the radio broadcaster continued. Rarity looked back at the guest bedroom. "From the lights and the noise, I estimate there are quite a number of them!"
Mobius turned hard right, allowing Marisa to fire at the vampire's clone. The danmaku connected, and vanquished the last clone.
"Are you still there!?" Flandre shouted, watching her clone fall, returning fire and strafing the mop.
"Flandre! You're hurting more people!"
"What?" Flandre gasped. "You're not tricking me again!"
"This is Rapier 1! We are down to two ponies! We require air and ground reinforcements!"
Flandre's body was illuminated by an eerie red light, before there was a large red beam generated from her hands.
"Taste my Lævateinn, Kirisame!" Flandre yelled, before the red blade lunged at the fighters. Mobius barrel-rolled out of harm's way, watching the trail the sword made create bullets. The two remaining pegasi also avoided the blade.
"Damn! I hoped that she didn't bring that with her!" Marisa lamented. She tapped Mobius' shoulder. "You're doing great!"
She has wounded more.
"Maybe they're alright...maybe they're only wounded a little bit."
They need help.
"What are you, some kinda psychic for flying people?"
Radio failure.
"Guess I'm not getting an answer outta ya." Marisa grunted, firing more bullets at Flandre.
"Hey, if we raise the the other guys on the radio, tell them that they're getting a drink from me!" Rapier 1 laughed, before there was sound of more gunfire. "Rapier 3! Bandit behind you!"
Flandre lunged again, the scarlet blade narrowly missing Mobius and Marisa. The witch and PADF pegasi took the chance to fire more at Flandre, some of the bullets actually connecting with the vampire, however, her wounds recovered quickly.
"Target hit!" Rapier 1 announced, before seeing Flandre's gunshot wound heal. "Damn, she recovered!"
"Keep firing!" Rapier 3 yelled. "One of these bullets will kill her!"
"A single fighter has yet to be sighted but wing noise can be heard..." the radio began cutting out. Rarity had not noticed Reimu leaving. "...radio transmissions from the military are occasionally..." "Approaching target from the East. Preparing anti-pegasus guns." a soldier's voice cut into the broadcast.
"Dammit!" Marisa cried, intensifying her fire. "Why do you have to be so hard to hit!?"
The battle continued in the skies, as the Ponyvillians pointed up and panicked amongst themselves.
In the skies, Reimu flew towards the battle as quick as she could. Locating the vampire, she aligned herself to her position. Marisa looked down at the shrine maiden.
"Reimu!?" Marisa yelled at her friend.
"Hold your fire!" she shouted back, before opening her arms, and firing two amulets at Flandre. "Hey! Flan!"
"What?" Flandre turned around, only to get hit by the homing amulets, and to see Reimu bearing down on her.
"You're getting a hug!"
Reimu collided with the vampire, constricting her with her bear hug. Marisa watched as her colleague then started flying straight at the ground.
"Go down! Go down!" Marisa cried out. Mobius did as asked, following the falling duo.
"Woah, are you seeing this, Rapier 1?"
"Yeah. That biped just flew up outta nowhere!"
"Chase her! Make sure they get to ground safely! Ground forces, hold all AP fire!"
The ponies who could see the fight cheered as Reimu continued her descent. She felt Flandre struggling against her grasp, but only sped up.
"Get off me! What do you think you're doing?!" Flandre shouted, baring her fangs and hissing.
"Listen, Scarlet!" Reimu yelled back. "As long as you're here, you're not gonna cause any trouble, alright!?"
"But-"
"I swear that I will crash us into the ground unless you say yes!" Reimu threatened, speeding up and jerking around to make sure Flandre got the point.
"You-"
Reimu tightened her grip and began to roll forwards head-over-heels.
"Okay, okay!" Flandre submitted.
"And you are going to apologise to the nice people you've hurt tonight!"
"Okay, I will!"
"And you are going to apologise to me for interrupting my sleep!"
"I'm sorry! Just don't crash us, please!" Flandre cried, tears spilling from her eyes before being caught in the rapid descent. Reimu looked at the girl, before slowing her descent and landing on the ground before the townsponies.
"They've landed!" Marisa shouted, pointing at the ground. "There!"
Mobius nodded, and flew towards Reimu and the defeated Flandre.
The two remaining Rapier Squadron pilots, flew side by side as they descended.
"Well, this isn't the weirdest engagement I've been in..." Rapier One laughed.
"What?" his wingmare replied.
"Discord."
"Oh right." Rapier 3 nodded. "You think the others are alright?"
"They better be." Rapier 1 growled. "Or I'm having some choice words with that enemy flier when we land."
Rapier 3 looked at the falling bipeds. She saw a barrage of tracers shoot up near Reimu and Flandre. "All ground forces, this is Rapier 3! Hold your fire with the AP guns! You're engaging friendlies!"
"Rapier 3, this is Bravo 4, holding fire."
"Bravo 5, holding our fire!"
"Bravo 2, awaiting order to continue fire!"
"That was a Royal Guard tank that just passed by us!" the radio buzzed. Rarity had closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her. "There are tanks gathering on the highway..."
Mobius One and Marisa landed next to Reimu and dismounted their broom, watching the Scarlet kneeling on the ground, Reimu's hand firmly planted on the girl's shoulder.
"Mobius..." Reimu advanced on the pilot. "...Good job."
Mobius looked at his feet. Marisa faced the shrine maiden.
"Where's my thanks?!" Marisa asked loudly.
"This is your job, Marisa. This is actually expected of you." Reimu smiled, putting her hand on Marisa's shoulder, before looking at the townsponies. All five of them, stumbling and obviously drunk.
"As you were!" Reimu ordered, before seeing a tank advancing towards her.
"All civilians are required to evacuate!" the tank's loudspeaker boomed. "Royal Guard operations are beginning in this area."
"No need!" Reimu shouted at the tank. "We dealt with it!"
"...What on Earth is that!?" the tank driver yelled, unaware of the loudspeaker.
"You guys can go home, we took her down." Marisa said, waving the tank away. She watched the two Rapier pilots land in front of her.
"Were you the extra fliers up there?" the captain asked.
"Yeah, that was us." Marisa said. "I'm Marisa Kirisame. That's Mobius One."
"Thanks for the support up there." Rapier 3 praised. "We would've been in trouble if you guys weren't there to bail us out..."
"So, what are you gonna do with Flandre?" Reimu asked.
"Hopefully, have her tried for a terrorist attack." Rapier 1 admitted. "She's looking at forty years in military prison."
"Terrorist attack?"
"She attacked our pegasi." Rapier 3 added. "She could have well killed them. We only just received word that the Royal Guard found them alive."
Marisa approached the two pilots, and leaned down next to them.
"The thing is, guys, this is par for the course for Flandre...I've fought her twice now, and where we come from, we never tried her for a 'terrorist attack' or whatever you guys call it."
"What?"
"She always does this. We just shoot her a few times and she stops. Thing is, her sister really isn't around to take her back into custody." Reimu added. "We're willing to make sure she never does this again."
"...Alright, we'll report her as EKIA." Rapier 1 submitted. "But if she does this again, we will take her in."
"The issue is that she does have the power to destroy everything," Marisa warned. "She was playing up there. Had she wanted to, she would just clap and you would've exploded. But have fun reporting her as 'EKIA', whatever that is."
"Wait, what?"
"And she's 495 years old. Forty years would mean nothing to her." Reimu added.
Flandre looked up at Marisa, tears forming in her red eyes. "I only...wanted to play..."
Your idea of play is what most call war.
"Huh?" Flandre whispered, looking up at the pilot.
You have managed to shoot down four pilots today.
"I did?"
Yes. Had you shot one more down, you would've been considered an ace.
"Really?" Flandre smiled. She had no idea what an ace was, but being compared to a unique playing card was nice.
You have a future ahead of you.
Mobius held out his hand for the Scarlet, which she accepted. Marisa stared at Flandre oddly for talking to herself. There was a voice in her head she couldn't shake though...
"The fighters that shot down the enemy have just landed now. The evacuation order has been cancelled on the Ponyville Municipal Area. Now we can shout that victory is ours!" the newsreader stated. "This is Air Wave, reporting for community broadcast."
Marisa walked into the boutique and clicked the radio off, carrying the defeated and now sleeping Scarlet under her arm. Reimu and Mobius followed after them.
"Wow, those crowds...all five of them." Reimu slurred, exhausted.
"Are you sure that not turning Flandre over to the Royal Guard was a good idea?" Marisa asked, watching the vampire nibbling fruitlessly on her dress, obviously in the fit of a dream. "Huh. It's kinda hard to stay mad at her."
"Really? Because I'm finding it quite easy right now." Reimu grunted, opening the door to the guest bedroom and collapsing onto the bed, taking only her sleeves off.
"Oh, you just need your precious sleep." Marisa yawned. She walked to the corner of the room, and placed Flandre gently on the floor. She then noticed Mobius One on the floor, and she took her hat off to use as a blanket, before laying her head on the torso of the pilot.
"All in a day's work..." Marisa laughed, before allowing sleep to take her.
The boutique was silent, save for Flandre's quiet sleep-talking, and Marisa's snoring.
"Uh...Sea monkey stole my money..."
Sakuya opened her eyes slowly. She jolted awake and looked around. It was easily late morning.
"Damn!" the maid shouted at herself. "I could've missed her...but if she saw me...she would wake me up..."
Sakuya looked around, before dusting herself off and hearing her stomach growl.
"Guess I should find a shop..." Sakuya whispered to herself, walking on her way.
Flandre opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she noticed was the pain in her left arm. And her right hand. And her stomach.
Rolling up her sleeves, she noticed the bright red marks of a recent healed injury on her pale white skin. On one side of her left forearm, the redness was the size of a large coin. On the other, the exit wound was easily the size of her fist. She had been shot before, but the wounds were never that big. They were always smaller than her thumbnail. Flandre shivered at the idea of how much firearms had advanced since the 17th Century - The last time she was allowed to leave the mansion. Flandre did not connect the dots that maybe the fact that people had to shoot at her was the reason why she was confined to the basement. It once took many minutes to fire one inaccurate ball, but the people she was playing with last night were firing hundreds of bullets in a short amount of time.
Sighing, she undid the buttons on the bottom of her dress and looked at her abdomen. There was another red mark the size of her fist. She looked around the bedroom. There was a recently used bed, and various books on the floor. The window was covered by a curtain.
Flandre looked at the books, and at the books on the shelf next to her.
There was only one thing she could do with those books.
"Marisa, can you at least try and eat like a human being?!" Reimu complained, slamming her spoon on the breakfast table. "I'm finding it really hard to enjoy my cereal."
"Mhm?" Marisa grunted, putting her second bowl on top of her first bowl. "I can't help it. I'm really liking this stuff."
"You're supposed to use this!" Reimu admonished, holding her spoon in front of Marisa.
"Thanks!" Marisa smiled, taking Reimu's used spoon, much to her horror, and putting it into her third bowl of chocolate flavored cereal.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle stared at Marisa as she quickly devoured her third bowl of cereal.
"So you really like Captain Choc?" Sweetie Belle asked slowly.
"Reimu, we gotta find a way to get this stuff once we go home," Marisa said, grinning like a maniac.
"No."
"Aww."
"So, what happened to that guy?" Reimu asked.
"Thunderlane?" Rarity replied. "He left in the early morning to return to Hoofton Air Force Base, and left his number here. We're going on a date tomorrow night."
"Huh. Good job Rarity," Marisa praised, slowly moving the box of Captain Choc under the table.
"How is Flandre doing?" Rarity asked, not noticing Marisa's daring theft of the chocolate cereal.
"Well, she was still asleep when I left," Reimu answered. "She's going to be scared of me for a while, I reckon."
"That was one Hell of a manovuer, Reimu," Marisa said, fist-bumping with Reimu with her free hand. "I mean, I'd have never thought of that."
"Of course you wouldn't. You just shoot things until they stop moving."
"Worked before," Marisa shrugged, putting a handful of cereal puffs into her mouth, and grimacing. "These taste much better with milk."
"So Flandre is no longer a threat, then?" Rarity questioned, giving an odd look to the witch. "I ask, because Thunderlane is still shaken up by the whole horrid affair."
"I told her that if she misbehaves, I'll use my magic shrine maiden powers to summon her sister," Reimu explained. "It should keep her nice."
"Her sister?"
"Yeah. Her name's Remilia Scarlet. She's the lady of the Scarlet Devil Mansion," Reimu explained. "Flandre will do anything her sister tells her to."
"Why?"
"It's not out of fear, and it's not out of love," Marisa answered. "I don't know what it is."
"Say, where's Mobius One?" Reimu asked.
"The living room," Rarity answered. She turned to her sister. "Come on, Sweetie Belle. You have to go to school now."
"Aww..." Sweetie sighed. She turned to the two humans. "See you guys!"
"See you, kid!"
"Bye."
Rarity picked up Sweetie's school bag with her mouth and dropped it gently onto the filly, who then skipped merrily out of the house.
"I'm going to be busy today," Rarity said, walking out the kitchen and passing Mobius One. "I'll see you all later."
"See ya!" Marisa called out, before sitting next to Reimu. "What are gonna do about Flandre now?"
"Like I said, use Remilia to keep her in line," Reimu answered. "What about Mobius?"
"Mobius can look after himself," Marisa replied, pouring a fourth bowl of Captain Choc.
"Alright," Reimu sighed, before she heard giggling from the guest bedroom. "Flandre's awake. I'm going to check on her. Don't eat all the cereal."
"I wasn't going to!" Marisa complained, her mouth full.
Reimu peeked around the corner of the doorframe. Only one of Flandre's wings was visible, and the room was darkened completely, save for a single beam of light.
Reimu's felt around the wall, and turned the light switch on, before walking inside.
Mobius One was sitting in a structure made entirely of books, with Flandre sitting on his lap. There was a flashlight on the bookcase behind him, and his hands were arranged to cast a shadow puppet onto the opposite wall.
"Halt!" Flandre yelled. "Who dares approach Fort Flandre?"
"Me," Reimu stated flatly. "Mobius, what are you doing?"
Mobius shrugged.
"Well...you're not really hurting anyone, I guess..." Reimu admitted, before flipping the light switch off, turning around and walking back to Marisa.
"The kid doing okay?"
"Mobius is showing her shadow puppets," Reimu replied.
"So Mobius is babysitting Flandre, and we're free to do what we want, really," Marisa smiled. "Nobody in the town is going to care about us because we saved them last night."
"I'm in the mood for staying in and waiting," Reimu answered, picking up and attempting to decipher a pony newspaper. "Have fun, I guess."
"Alright, fine," Marisa shrugged, picking up Rarity's mop. "I'm going for a fly."
Reimu waved at Marisa as the witch advanced outside and took a deep breath, before mounting the mop. She ascended into the air and held onto her hat. Flying against the bitter Autumn winds, she admired the town in daylight. She looked over the area of the battle last night - There was a destroyed section of road where Flandre had thrown a pair of heatseekers to the ground, and there was still a pool of blood where one pegasi crashed. Marisa noticed a large wooden board where a window would be, and thought to herself about the pegasi who most likely crashed through that window.
"What a crazy night..." Marisa whispered to herself. She stopped for a while and simply hovered in the air, before putting her hand to her chin - She had been in this strange world for one uncomfortable night now. What if she was here for a long time? Not only was Gensokyo in serious danger unless the other shrine maiden Reimu knew stepped up, but they would be forgotten eventually. Marisa grimaced at the idea of being forgotten. Would anyone remember me? Sakuya? Patchouli, that gate guard...What about Mima, wherever she is...or what about Alice? Would they remember me?
"No..." Marisa growled to herself. "I will not be forgotten. I have worked too damn hard. I will either get back to my home or die trying."
Marisa shook her head to clear the bad thoughts of the possibility of not returning, and sped against the cold wind as fast as she could. The cold air sliced into her exposed skin, making her forget about the terrible thoughts.
"More tea, Mr. Mobius?" Flandre asked sweetly, pouring invisible tea into a cup in front of Mobius One. The hero of the Usean Continential War stared blankly at the imaginary tea, before lifting the cup to his mask, and pretending to drink it.
"So, as I was saying - I was talking to my sister, and she was trying to explain how knees don't bend a certain way. Of course, my mind was occupied on other matters, like the cookies Sakuya had promised me."
Mobius nodded, and adjusted the cardboard top hat on his helmet.
"Eventually, my sister had realised my distraction, and so asked me a question. I responded with 'chocolate chip!'" Flandre laughed, slapping her knee. "It had a bad ending though - I wasn't allowed to watch any cartoons for the day. Which sucked."
Mobius rubbed his chin in thought, before noticing Reimu standing in the corridor leading to the kitchen. She stared at the scene, before slowly backing away into the living room.
The fighter pilot turned back to the young vampire, and wondered how she was such a fearsome foe in combat. Here, she was acting like any other little girl - Holding a tea party, and generally being the image of innocence. Her smile betrayed her vampiric side and her eyes betrayed her demonic nature however.
"So, Mr. Mobius, do you have any stories?" Flandre asked, eating a small biscuit.
Mobius nodded.
I've got a good story.
"Do tell," Flandre said, trying her best to impersonate her sister's 'proper' accent.
It was my first mission with the ISAF, and I was scrambled from my aircraft carrier to stop six TU-95 Bear bombers from destroying an air base and various targets in North Point.
"What happened?" Flandre asked, now dropping the act and becoming actually interested in the story.
I took off, and we met the bombers at Newfield Island. I shot two missiles.
Mobius made a gun shape with his fingers, and mimed firing.
Shot down one Bear. Saw the next one, and shot him down too. Then we met the escort fighters.
"Escort fighters?"
Bunch of F-5E's. Simple enough. Locked on, fired, and missed, so I fired two more and shot down a fighter. Then I got the third bomber.
Mobius thought for a second about how Flandre would never remember this conversation, but continued anyway.
I shot down another fighter, and I saw they brought MiGs out as well.
Mobius paused to let Flandre ask a question, but when she stayed silent, he continued.
This pilot was real good. Fired missile after missile at him, but he kept avoiding me. So I disengaged, and started flying for the bombers again.
Flandre was on the edge of her seat now.
One of them got to Allenfort Air Base and got the runway. I hit him with a missile, but it didn't put him down. So I used my gun, and then fired two more missiles and finally shot him down.
"Was it just you fighting?" Flandre asked.
I had other pilots helping, but they were tied up with the escort fighters. Then my AWACS - My boss, basically. - told me that the last bomber was shot down by the other pilots. So we returned to base, and people were cheering for me - I was the 'new kid' to them...Can I tell you a secret, Flandre?
"You can tell me, Mobius."
I can't remember a time where I'm not flying. And I've always been flying I kept looking to the skies as everything in the world changed. I saw nations rise and fall. I saw propellers turn to jet engines. And I've flown them all. Every time the wars I were involved in ended, people seemed to forget I was alive. I just became a legend whom nobody saw.
"Wow..." Flandre gasped. "Are you a Youkai?"
I doubt it. I'm just...something else entirely.
Flandre remained silent and waited for the pilot to continue.
I started hearing thoughts of other pilots - other people who flew. Eventually, I was able to send my thoughts to them. But they would never remember me doing this...
"Will I remember this, Mobius?" Flandre choked.
You don't remember what I told you last night, do you?
Flandre tried to remember any point where Mobius had communicated with her. She could only remember talking to herself after being defeated, and something about playing cards. "I can't remember anything..."
I thought so. I've tried for years. Lifetimes, even. Nothing has ever worked. But I want to see if you can remember the tone of this conversation.
Mobius advanced forward and hugged Flandre. In a few minutes, Flandre was trying to pinpoint the exact tone of voice Mobius was using.
In the next minute, she could only remember hearing a voice. Mobius broke the hug.
"I heard some strange voice when we were hugging then..." Flandre wondered. "Eh, it's probably nothing. I'm gonna go talk to Reimu!"
Mobius watched as the girl skipped away happily.
He audibly sighed, and held his head in his hands.
"Rarity, did you hear about the battle last night?" Fluttershy asked, locking the door to her cottage. "I'm a really heavy sleeper, and it even woke me up."
"I did," Rarity replied, walking side-by-side with the yellow pegasus, unaware of the alien eyes watching them. "I heard the Air Force took heavy losses."
"Heh...back when I was a filly, that would have never happened." Fluttershy stated. "I remember when ponies actually respected the Royal Guard."
"The spending cuts really hit them hard." Rarity replied.
"That's not the point. Ten years ago, ponies saw combat pegasi as ponies to be respected..." Fluttershy said sadly. "Overnight, hearts of steel were replaced by hearts of cowardice. Rainbow Dash is one of the few exceptions I've seen..."
"It's a sad state of a affairs..."
"It is. There's a reason I don't mention being in the Air Defence Force any more..." Fluttershy laughed. "Everypony knows I did National Service, but not in the Air Defence Force."
"Why don't you tell anypony?"
"Because I know they'll make fun of me."
"They won't make fun of you, dear..." Rarity promised, still mindful of the fact that Flandre, a child by human standards, had defeated four heavily-armed pegasi.
"Hopefully..."
Rarity and Fluttershy continued on their way to their spa appointment.
"She's finally gone," the ice fairy whispered to herself, before jumping up and headbutting her way through the cottage window.
"Here's Cirno!" she shouted while face down on the floor, before getting up and looking around. "Oh yeah...she left."
Cirno turned around and stared at the refrigerator in Fluttershy's kitchen. Using all of her fairy strength, she opened the fridge door, unwittingly breaking one of the hinges. Inside, there was the usual assortment of fridge goodies - Milk, baby bottles, and a large plate of red gelatin. Cirno then noticed a single metal cylinder. It looked similar to the drink that Cirno had once seen that red-headed gate guard drinking, except it was a different color, size and it was in this fridge. She picked it up with both hands, and turned it around.
"Ponyville Impish? No, Imperial Brewery...beer," Cirno read the label out loud. "Four percent...Four percent what?"
Cirno shrugged and opened the can, before lifting it up and drinking a mouthful of beer. Which is not a lot, as fairies are quite small.
Cirno grimaced at the taste, before drinking more anyway.
Cirno threw the empty beer can aside. With a dopey smile on her face, she stumbled to the fridge and took out the plate of gelatin.
"I love jelly..." Cirno slurred, slamming her face into the dessert. It was then she noticed something poking her in the shoulder. She turned around and was hit in the face by a frying pan.
"Ow!" she cried, sliding across the floor. She stared up at her attacker.
A bunny rabbit.
"That's it..." Cirno stuttered, stumbling to her feet. "I'm gonna make you an Arctic ice core!"
The bunny beckoned in a 'Come at me' pose. Cirno stumbled at the bunny, and lamely attempted to kick him through a window. Sadly, the bunny avoided the fairy's attack, and pushed her other leg, causing her to fall head-over-heels. The fairy roared in rage, and went for the rabbit again. However, she misjudged the distance, and fell short.
"That's it..." Cirno growled, a blue mist appearing around her hands. "Freeze! Freeze to death!"
Cirno went to strangle the rabbit. She lunged once more. The rabbit effortlessly side-stepped Cirno's death grip, before looking her in the eye.
"Stupid rabbit," Cirno sighed, standing up and stumbling. "You win this round...But I'll get you...one day..."
The rabbit watched as Cirno stumbled upstairs into Fluttershy's bedroom. The ice fairy looked at a picture of the pegasus, before throwing it aside, unwittingly knocking a parrot off her perch. Cirno giggled at the parrot falling to the floor, before collapsing face down onto the bed, and falling asleep.
Angel looked at the sleeping fairy, before hopping off to do something else more worth his time.
Marisa hovered over the town, the terrible thoughts now cleaned from her mind by happier thoughts and the bitter winds. Shivering, she stood atop her makeshift broom, before putting her hands together and lifting one leg up. She closed her eyes and exhaled, before she started to feel herself fall. She counted the seconds to terminal velocity, then estimated her current altitude. She counted the seconds to impact in her head, before regaining her flight. She listened out for the sound of the mop hitting the floor.
There was a metallic pinging sound as the mop impacted the road.
"0.3 seconds." Marisa whispered to herself, before opening her eyes and seeing that she was but a centimeter from the ground. "Must try harder..."
Marisa turned around to the blank stares of Rarity and a yellow pegasus.
"Hey Rarity!" Marisa called out. "I drop in on you a lot, don't I?"
"...How did you do that!?" Rarity asked, stunned.
"Simple. I counted seconds," Marisa said, landing on the ground. "Don't act so shocked."
"Is this one of the humans you mentioned, Rarity?" the yellow pegasus besides her asked.
"Yes...this is Marisa," Rarity introduced. "She helped with the battle last night."
"Yep, that was me!" Marisa boasted. "Name's Marisa Kirisame."
"Fluttershy..." the pegasus stuttered, retreating behind Rarity.
"What's the matter? Scared of the big bad witch?" Marisa mocked.
"Marisa!" Rarity snapped.
"Geez, lighten up a little," Marisa replied dismissively. "I did just fall about a thousand feet."
Marisa picked the mop up and mounted it again.
"Well, I'm going home now. Need a ride, Rarity?"
"No no, I'm going for tea with Fluttershy."
"Cool," Marisa replied, walking away. "See you guys later!"
Reimu held a small mug of tea, sitting on the armchair of Rarity's living room. She looked over to Mobius and Flandre using books as building blocks. She allowed herself a small smile, before she clicked the radio on.
"...And now we go to the Phone-In Hour. This is Ms. Smith from Sweet Apple Acres. Ms. Smith, you're on The Midday Show with Shortwave!" the enthusiastic radio broadcaster stated. "What have you got to say?"
"Hello, I've never in all my years seen events like the ones in the past few days," an ancient voice responded.
"Ah, you're talking about the midnight air skirmish, am I right?"
"Back in my day, we would have called the entire army! It's the aliens that have been appearing!"
Reimu leaned forward, listening intently.
"Ah yes, the three bipeds who shot down the fourth."
"They should have strung her up by the neck!" the voice complained. Flandre dropped her book and looked at the radio.
"Well, the Royal Guard did officially declare that the threat was killed at 12:34 AM by the Rapier Squadron..." Shortwave replied, trying to placate the old pony.
"I doubt it! Isn't it strange that they appear before it happened?"
"Well, we have been unable to contact them, so we cannot really throw baseless accusations of guilt at them..." Shortwave stuttered. "Wait...we have news. Our news reporter Hot Scoop has found one of the bipeds."
Reimu dropped her tea.
"Oh Marisa, don't screw this up..." Reimu almost prayed.
"Hello, young...lady, right?" a young-sounding female voice asked.
"Yeah, I'm a woman," Marisa answered.
"Tell us, how did you first arrive in Ponyville?"
"Well, me and my friend Marisa-"
"What the Hell is she doing!?" Reimu shouted at the radio, attracting the attention of Mobius and Flandre.
"I'm sorry, who are you again?"
"My name's Reimu Hakurei, shrine maiden!" Marisa answered on public radio.
"Marisa Kirisame!" Reimu shouted, bounding out of the building and flying straight up, fuelled not by tea like she usually was, but by pure rage. "You're going to die now!"
Mobius and Flandre looked at each and shrugged, before completing their building - a model of an aircraft carrier.
"So I was like: 'Marisa, how come you seem to know everything?' and she was like: 'Oh, I just had a feeling that the Moriya Shrine was currently exploding.'"
"So what is this Moriya Shrine you keep mentioning?" Hot Scoop questioned.
"Hell if I know. Anyway, as I was saying..." Marisa looked up to the sky in thought, before noticing a rapidly descending red and white ball of pure, Hellish anger. "Umm, it's been real nice chatting, but I gotta run!"
Marisa took off sprinting despite the confused newscaster's questions, before Reimu landed before her.
"Ah, it's another biped now!" Hot Scoop said. "Hello, miss. What is your name?"
"Reimu Hakurei," Reimu grunted. "You were just talking to Marisa Kirisame. And I am about to murder her!"
"Wait, what?"
"Marisa was using my name on your show," Reimu growled. "Don't be surprised if you're reporting a highly annoying witch getting impaled on an entire house later!"
With the confusion cleared up, Reimu set about flying after the now-panicking Marisa, who had been the victim of Reimu's anger before.
Marisa turned into an alleyway and doubled over panting, before noticing a wave of danmaku flying at her. She dived to the ground, before noticing the shrine maiden rapidly approaching.
"You can't escape me Kirisame!" Reimu roared, before grabbing the witch by the collar, and delivering a vicious backhand. Marisa stared at her friend. Her angry expression was replaced by one of complete regret.
"You...you hit me," Marisa whispered. Reimu dropped the witch.
"M-marisa..." Reimu whispered. "I-I'm sor-"
"I don't want to hear a single word," Marisa growled, a red hand mark on her cheek. "Don't bother coming home tonight. If you do, I'll tell Flandre to go to town on you."
"But-"
"But nothing, Hakurei," Marisa replied. "It was fun while it lasted."
"While what lasted?"
"Y'know. Our working relationship, our various alliances...How about our friendship, huh? Does that mean anything to you? Does anything? Because it meant something to me!"
"But...you used my name on a public broadcast to tell lies!"
"Newsflash: I've used your name hundreds of times! You realise how easier my job is when people think I'm you?!" Marisa shouted. "Nobody ever takes me seriously! Well, it's about time they did. Starting with you. Find your own bed tonight. I'll look after Flandre and Mobius."
"Oh no you don't!" Reimu yelled back. "I'm keeping that kid and that pilot!"
"How about you see them on weekends?" Marisa mocked. She went to leave the alleyway, but was stopped by Reimu.
"You're not leaving until we either solve this or kill each other."
"Reimu. Move."
"No."
"Move!"
"No!"
"Bitch! Get out of my way!" Marisa spat, shoving the shrine maiden out of her path.
Reimu watched as Marisa stormed off. She stared at the ground, before she saw a teardrop on her shoe.
"What have I done..?"
Fluttershy removed the key from her saddlebag and unlocked the door. Pushing open the door, she stopped when she saw the glass on the floor from a broken window, her fridge door wide open, a plate of jelly spread all over the kitchen floor, with most of it being eaten by animals, and a single empty can of beer on the floor.
"S-someone broke in..." Fluttershy stuttered. Her eyes overflowed with tears.
"Fluttershy, get back!" Rarity replied, pushing the pegasus behind her and warming up a self-defence spell. "Whoever's in here, come out now and I won't hurt you!"
There was no reply. Rarity noticed a trail of small jelly pieces leading up the staircase. She followed them, and saw a blue-haired biped sleeping heavily on Fluttershy's bed.
"Oh no...I can't fit any more into my house..." Rarity whispered. She turned towards the staircase. "Fluttershy! Come here! Bedroom!"
After about a minute, Fluttershy joined Rarity. The biped was still asleep. Rarity checked her over. She was similar in size to Flandre Scarlet, except this biped had wings resembling ice crystals.
"Ngh..." the biped grunted, opening her eyes to a very distraught Fluttershy and an angry Rarity. "Oh great. What did I do this time!?"
"You broke into my friend's house and vandalized her property." Rarity replied angrily. "Apologize."
"I can barely remember what happened last night."
"...It happened at least three hours ago." Fluttershy stated.
"Whatever. I'm outta here." Cirno dismissed, hopping off the bed, before having her path blocked by Rarity.
"You're going to clean that mess up, young lady."
"Whose gonna make me?" Cirno challenged.
"I know somebody named Reimu who specialises in people like you." Rarity threatened. Cirno's expression remained unchanged.
"Oh, so you know red-white. Big deal." Cirno jeered, getting into Rarity's face. Rarity could smell the alcohol on Cirno's breath. "Tell me why I shouldn't just freeze you right now?"
Rarity's horn lit up, before a lightning bolt shocked the fairy. Cirno jumped back, before there was another zap.
"So you can zap me. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?" Cirno growled.
"No, I don't." Rarity replied. She remembered the smell of Cirno's breath. "If I get you more beer, will you calm down and apologize?"
Cirno crossed her arms. "Maybe."
"Fine. Fluttershy, go to the store and buy more beer." Rarity said.
"Okay." Fluttershy replied.
"And get help." Rarity whispered. The fairy didn't notice.
Marisa slammed the door as she entered Rarity's house again. Mobius looked up at his book.
"Mobius, if Reimu comes back here, throw her out!" Marisa ordered. "I don't want to see her ever again!"
Mobius stared while Marisa charged into the guest bedroom and threw herself onto the bed. How could Reimu turn on me like that!? she thought to herself. She didn't notice Flandre in the corner, drawing with Sweetie's crayons.
"Damn shrine maiden...should have never called her my friend!" Marisa yelled into the pillow. "Thinks she can do whatever she wants to me...well, I'll show her..."
"What's wrong, Marisa?" Flandre asked quietly, startling the witch. Marisa approached the vampire, knelt down and put her arm around her.
"Listen...me and Reimu have had some problems...it's nothing for you to worry about," Marisa explained, hoping that the situation wouldn't lead to Flandre thinking that she could start getting away with things. "Just...go somewhere else. Give me some time alone, okay kid?"
Flandre nodded and walked out of the room. Marisa sat on the ground, before seeing Flandre's picture.
Marisa sighed, before folding it up and placing it into her apron's pocket. She put her hand over her eyes in thought. Her cheek still stung from the impact of Reimu's angry hand.
She looked up, before looking at her hand.
Her palm shined with tears.
Reimu walked down the street, ignoring the stares of the ponies. She simply focused on her steps and breaths. It was the only thing she could think about. Every thought led back to that slap, that expression on Marisa's face...She wasn't angry, she felt betrayed by the act of physical violence. Reimu threw every curse she knew at herself mentally for even thinking that striking her friend was a good idea. She had completely broken her friendship with Marisa. There might be a possibility that the relationship would never recover. And now that Marisa had barred her from returning to Rarity's home, she had lost all her allies in this land - Mobius One, Rarity, even Flandre.
Reimu realised that returning to Rarity was no longer an option. She was truly alone. Under normal circumstances, this would have been ideal...but not on such a sour note as the incident today. She felt her stomach growl. She looked around and noticed a brown pony wearing an expensive coat. Reimu looked at the marks on his rear. She had noticed them previously, but never paid it much mind. The mark was three bags, with strange currency symbols on them. She had no money, and no choice. She had kindly asked for donations before, but this was just begging in the streets.
"Excuse me...sir?" Reimu asked. "Have...have you got any money to spare?"
"Oh. Sure." the stallion responded, giving Reimu five shiny gold coins. "You saved this town, after all!"
"Thanks..." Reimu replied, before turning away from the charitable pony. She walked into a small shop.
The store was quite different from one in Gensokyo. The stock was placed on white metal shelves, which stretched to the back of the store. The stock was organized into neat sections, and all drinks were along a single wall, which hummed quietly. Reimu ducked her head as she walked through the automatic doors. The shopkeep didn't even look up at her as Reimu walked into the store, clutching her five bits. Behind the shopkeeper, there was a wall of various cardboard boxes and alcohol bottles. Reimu sighed as she approached the shopkeeper.
"Excuse me?"
The shopkeeper looked up from her newspaper. "What?"
"What have you got in stock?" Reimu asked.
The shopkeeper stared at her like she was stupid, before pointing her hoof at the rest of the store.
"Thanks," Reimu grunted half-heartedly, as she headed for the shelves. Looking through the stock, she found that though she was hungry, she had no appetite any more. She returned to the shopkeeper and looked at the alcohol bottles.
"What's the cheapest and strongest alcohol you have?" Reimu asked. "I have five...coins, I guess."
"Five bits isn't getting you much..." the shopkeeper warned, before looking through the selection. "You want lager, wine, vodka..?"
"What is the strongest?"
"...Griffon Standard vodka," the shopkeep said, handing Reimu the bottle and taking the money. "Thank you. Come again."
Reimu walked outside holding the bottle. She sighed, before twisting the cap off.
Marisa sat on the messy guest bed, thinking. Thinking of every conversation with Reimu. Every time they worked together, and every time they stood against each other. Even as children, they fought, but over the years, they had settled into a firm friendship, forged in Incident after Incident. Fighting between them was kept to a minimum. Marisa tried desperately to remain angry after thinking about the times she shared with her former best friend. She needed to stick by her word. She cast Reimu out of her life. She couldn't turn back now. Not without looking weak. She looked as Mobius entered the room and sat by her.
"Hey Mobius..." Marisa whispered.
Hello.
Marisa jumped back. "You can-"
Yes. You had this reaction yesterday. You can't remember anything I said though.
"Oh."
What has happened between you and Reimu?
"A major argument."
You have cast her out, have you not?
"She deserves it!" Marisa sneered.
Funny. You two seemed like you were the best of friends. You shared a bond beyond friendship. It was a bond between lead and wing.
"I don't know what that means, but thanks I guess..." Marisa sighed.
So you have cast her away. Tell me, Marisa...has anyone ever cast you away?
Marisa sighed, before she remembered something. Something which shocked her. She turned to Mobius.
"This doesn't leave this room...got it?"
I understand. Tell me everything you are comfortable with.
"No daughter of mine is a magician! No Kirisame has ever been a magic user, and I will be damned if you break that tradition!" the middle-aged man yelled. "We are humans! We don't use the methods of the Youkai!"
"But Father..."
"No buts! You choose right now! You choose this family and your species, or you choose your magic!"
Marisa straightened her clothing, before turning her back on her father.
"I choose the life of magic."
"Fine. Get out. Go forge your own doomed path."
Marisa still heard the furious slam of the wooden door as she exited her family home for the final time, with nothing but simple magic tricks, the clothes she wore, and a small broom. A child without a family.
Your own father rejected you for your magic use.
"Yeah. Heard he swore that I never existed."
That's terrible. Where was your mother in all this?!
Marisa stayed silent.
...I see.
Marisa sighed, as the memories continued to flood her mind.
Marisa sat under the stone bridge, watching the river trickle by as raindrops fell above her head. She had refused to cry; she knew she was right. She would become the greatest human magician to ever live.
"How am I to do this though..?" Marisa whispered to herself. "How will I show the world?"
"I know a way," a mysterious voice said.
"Who's there!?" Marisa jumped up, fists raised.
"Come now, child. There is no need to fight me," the voice whispered into her ear. "Besides, you're facing the wrong way."
Marisa turned around and saw a woman's face. She had long green hair, and wore a white and blue dress, which cut off at where her legs would've been. Marisa jumped back upon seeing the spirit's lack of legs.
"Are you a ghost?!" Marisa stuttered fearfully, her eyes fixated on the bloodied knife the spirit wielded.
"No. I am simply a soul," the spirit responded, her voice somehow calming the child. "What is your name?"
"Marisa..."
"I am Lady Mima," the spirit introduced herself with a bow. "So, what is it that you want to show the world?"
"That I can be the greatest magician!" Marisa stated proudly.
"Hmph. Show me what you can do, child. Impress me."
Marisa focused herself, before three navy blue danmaku bullets fired from her fingertips. They disappeared harmlessly on the other side of the bridge's arch.
"You expect to become the greatest magician with those measly parlor tricks?" Mima scoffed. "Don't waste my time, child!"
"No no! I can get better!"
"Really? Then show me!"
Marisa focused as hard as she could, before her hands generated the three bullets again. They travelled slowly, before splitting into two and leaving water on the other side of the arch. Mima nodded in approval.
"There is hope for you yet, young Marisa," Mima assured. "Come with me...and I will show you the secrets of magic."
So this 'Mima' took you as her apprentice.
"Yeah. She told me everything. She told me the fundamentals of magic, the basics..." Marisa replied. "Everything. We even developed the Firepower Discipline together."
What is that?
"It's a simple phrase," Marisa explained. "Danmaku is all about firepower!"
I see. I remember your shooting style the night we fought Flandre.
Marisa shrugged. "She...lived, I guess, near the Haukrei Shrine, so I had to travel some distance."
So where did you live?
"I stayed under that bridge. Watched the water trickle by."
A homeless child living under a bridge. It sounds like an old novel.
"Yeah...But Mima said that living by the water would help my own element...She was the closest thing to a parent I had," Marisa admitted. "She told me...things though."
About what?
"Reimu," Marisa answered. "The first time me and Reimu ever met, Reimu was trying to get at Mima for some reason. I did what I could, but Reimu just defeated me and moved on without a second thought."
What did she tell you about Reimu?
"Told me that she was the descendant of her original enemy. Because Mima died before getting revenge, she could never get back at that person, so she targeted Reimu instead," Marisa explained. "The way she worded it, it felt like Reimu was also responsible for everything bad in my life. I believed it for years. I put all this hatred on that one person."
Where did it go?
"I actually met her. She wasn't some twisted, evil demon-girl like Mima told me...she was just a shrine maiden. Human, with her own quirks, and her own personality. I had seen her when I was training, but Mima always told me to never interfere with her. That she needed the final blow."
So Mima lied to you for your entire childhood.
"That she did," Marisa replied. "It all came to a head one day, years later. I saw her for who she was."
Who was she?
"An evil spirit," Marisa confessed. "She was using me for her own sick power games. She never loved me the way I loved her."
You loved her like a mother?
"It was beyond that...She was my teacher, my mother and my friend. Well, I thought she was..." Marisa sniffed. "It was after I met her maid..."
Who was her maid?
"Alice...my neighbor. Mima took her from her home and forced her into work. There were things I was willing to tolerate, but after she did that...I had enough."
What did you do?
"Shot Mima in the back," Marisa stated, aware of the fact she had admitted to such a cowardly act. "Took Alice with me as I escaped. Spent the next five years hiding in the Forest of Magic with this girl obsessed with dolls. Eventually, I built my own house, and I had the powers Mima taught me. Last I heard, Reimu sealed her away to stop her from ever doing something like that again."
And that was the end of Mima?
"With any luck..." Marisa nodded. "Or I'd have to kill her personally to see that she stays down."
So, you were cast from your home by your father, and you fell into the service of an evil spirit, before you ended up betraying her?
"Yeah...You know what the funny thing is, Mobius?"
What?
"I think I know what my father was expecting me to do...he wanted me to crawl back to him, crying about the big bad world, but I ended up better than ever..."
And what are you expecting Reimu to do?
The gears clicked in Marisa's head.
"...You're right..." Marisa whispered, realizing she was thinking exactly like her father did many years prior. Just as Marisa's father cast her out, she was now casting Reimu out. "...I'll let her come back on her own. I'm not going to bother myself looking for her. I've known her for years. She's a big girl, she can look after herself."
Reimu cursed her inability to hold her liquor as she stumbled through the streets, attracting the glares of the townsponies. A few more ponies had not realised her drunken condition and given her more money, resulting in Reimu buying more vodka.
"Dammit..." Reimu slurred. "How does Suika put up with this?"
The shrine maiden continued walking down the street. The ponies moved out of her path as she continued stumbling down the street. She turned to a mare.
"Hey! You! What time is it?"
"Uhh...Just gone 6PM." the mare replied, looking at her hoofwatch.
Reimu walked off in the vague direction of Carousel Boutique without answering the mare back.
Fluttershy knocked hurriedly on the front door of the Boutique, the six-pack of beer at her hooves. The porch covered the area in a cool shade. However, Fluttershy was too concerned to enjoy the relief from running across town.
"Yeah?" a red-dressed, stick-winged young biped answered.
"Can you come with me?" Fluttershy asked. "Rarity's in trouble!"
"...I would, but Reimu won't let me..." Flandre answered.
"Marisa kicked her out a few hours back. I don't know where she is."
"What about Marisa?"
"She's...not in a mood to talk right now," Flandre answered.
"...Alright, thanks," Fluttershy replied. The door closed in her face.
Fluttershy sighed. She noticed a phone box. She stepped inside and pressed the large blue emergency button.
"Hello. You have reached the Ponyville Emergency Services. What service do you require?" the operator asked.
"There's a hostage situation at One Everfree Lane," Fluttershy whispered. "One hostage. Unicorn. The suspect is unarmed, but is mentally unstable."
"Describe the suspect."
"Suspect is a winged biped, wearing a blue dress. I am personally on my way with the kidnapper's demand, but I think I'm going to need the police while I'm going in there."
"I've got that written down. Multiple police officers have been dispatched. Do not anger the suspect."
The line went dead as Fluttershy put the phone back on the hook, before picking up the six pack of beer and running for her house.
She hoped that the beer would be enough to calm the fairy until the police got there.
"I'm tired of waiting!" Cirno shouted, making ice sculptures out of Fluttershy's furniture. "That pony better get back here soon or I'll start freezing things that someone might miss."
Rarity stared at the fairy. The door downstairs opened and closed, before there were hoofsteps. Fluttershy rejoined the two. She slid the beer across the floor at the fairy. Rarity was disappointed that Fluttershy did not bring help.
"Now will you leave?" Rarity asked.
"Hmm...nah!" Cirno responded, firing ice danmaku at the two ponies. They failed to respond before being frozen perfectly in magical ice. "It'll take a little while for you to thaw out...hope it isn't too bad for you in there!"
Cirno opened a can of beer, before walking downstairs to enjoy her new house. However, she heard sirens in the distance, before engine noise and shouting.
"All units, surround the area!"
"Affirmative! Suspect is surrounded!"
A blinding light flooded the windows as Cirno looked outside. There were about six dark blue carriages, with red and blue lights on top. The legend "PONYVILLE POLICE SERVICE" were emblazoned on the sides. Cirno could see multiple uniformed ponies take aim with hoof mounted guns.
"Attention suspect! This is the Ponyville Police! Release your hostage, and surrender immediately!"
"What makes you think I'll do that?!" Cirno shouted back.
"Your demand is being run to you now."
"If you mean the beer, then I've already got it!" Cirno yelled. "And I've dealt with the pony who brought it to me!"
Marisa sat on the armchair. The radio was off. Mobius and Flandre were busy doodling in the corner. She put her hand on her apron pocket and felt the contents. Six bits. A box of matches. A piece of paper. Some mints she had swiped from the kitchen.
Marisa looked towards the door. It was starting to get dark outside and Reimu had not returned. Maybe she had fled Ponyville, or found another place to stay. Marisa also noticed that Rarity had not returned yet. Sweetie Belle had come home after school and was now doing her homework in her bedroom.
Marisa was snapped out of her thoughts by a pounding at the door. She opened it, revealing Reimu.
Except she was drunk. So very drunk.
"You know what, Kirisame!?" the shrine maiden immediately launched into a inebriated tirade. "You're right. I don't deserve any friends. But I don't need them! I don't need anybody!"
"Reimu-"
"No! Don't need anybody to put pity on me! I'm queen of the damn world! I don't need Flandre! I don't need Rarity! I don't need Mobius! Guess what? I don't need Suika either, or that Sanae person!" Reimu pointed at Marisa. "And I don't need you!"
Reimu stumbled on the road, and started falling backwards, before she felt Marisa's hand on her's. Marisa pulled Reimu forward, and used her other arm to support her.
"Get inside," Marisa ordered, bringing the shrine maiden into the living room.
"Wuh? I thought you didn't want me in your precious house?"
"Reimu. Shut up," Marisa replied, pulling Reimu into a hug. "I've been thrown out before. You're not going to feel the same way I did."
They stood there for a while in silence. Mobius smiled under his mask.
The link of lead and wing has been restored.
"Yeah." Flandre whispered back.
There is a certain magic inherent in that type of friendship. They seem to place absolute, unwavering trust in each other. Reimu did not even call out for Marisa's help, but she knew it was coming.
"You're right," Flandre replied quietly, watching the scene.
How are you not shocked at hearing me?
"I've been hearing voices recently around you...figured that it was you. I can't remember what you say, just that it was you saying something."
Flandre...you have no idea how happy those words have made me.
"No problem, Moby," Flandre dismissed.
"I'm...sorry for hitting you..." Reimu sobbed.
"Shh. It's okay," Marisa reassured. "I shouldn't have done what I did either..."
"Yeah..." Reimu sniffed.
"Besides...I owed you a favor from way back."
"What do you mean?" Reimu asked.
"Mima," Marisa replied. "That is all."
Reimu felt a tug at her dress. She looked down and saw Flandre.
"Are you and Mom getting back together?" she asked innocently, smiling at Reimu.
"What!?" Reimu asked, shocked.
"Hehe. I told her to say that if you came back and it went well," Marisa giggled.
"...Marisa Kirisame, you crazy fool," Reimu laughed in Marisa's face.
"Reimu?"
"Yeah?"
"Your breath stinks," Marisa stated flatly. She reached into her apron pocket and produced the mints, before popping one into Reimu's mouth.
"I don't need to be fed," Reimu complained.
"I know. I just wanted you to be 'Fun Angry Reimu' rather than 'Really Heartbreaking To Watch Angry Reimu,'" Marisa admitted. "Kids in the room, ya know?"
The two friends hugged some more, before breaking away from each other.
"Hey...where's Rarity?" Reimu wondered.
"I wondered that too," Marisa replied. "She said she was going for tea with a friend of hers...Fluttershy."
"Should we check on her?"
"I'll go," Marisa said. "You go to bed. You need to sleep that alcohol off."
"Ooh! Can I go?" Flandre asked, putting her hand up in the air.
"Well, you've been good for today..." Marisa evaluated. "Yeah, let's go. Mobius, look after Reimu and Sweetie.
Mobius saluted while Marisa and Flandre ran outside. He tapped the holster on his belt and drew his sidearm, before checking it and replacing it.
"Not terribly well. The biped inside doesn't seem to know what a hostage even is." the captain responded, rubbing his forehead with his hoof.
"Can you recommend a raid?"
"Not at this time. We don't know what this biped is capable of. She could be equally or more powerful as the one the Army faced two days ago. I'm not sending my officers in there."
Marisa and Flandre flagged down a passing pony. She had a mane and tail which were rainbow colored, and she was a light shade of blue.
"Hey, real sorry to bother ya, but do you know where a Fluttershy lives?" Marisa asked the pegasus.
"Fluttershy?" she responded. "Yeah, sure. Why?"
"Because our friend Rarity went there and she hasn't returned," Marisa answered.
"I was actually headin' for Rarity's place," the pony said. "Name's Rainbow Dash."
"Marisa Kirisame," Marisa introduced herself. Flandre remained silent.
Dash hopped into the air, before noticing Marisa sitting on her broom and Flandre flapping her wings.
"Well, if you can fly, this makes this about four hundred percent easier," Dash said. She began flying at a fairly quick pace to the East. It was when Marisa was following her that she had finally noticed the giant building on the mountain.
"Hey, weren't you the biped who said you were somepony else on live radio?" Dash asked, smiling.
"I'd prefer not to talk about that. Almost lost my friend over it," Marisa growled.
"Jeez, that sucks," Dash commiserated.
"What's that building over there?" Marisa questioned, pointing at the Northern mountain side.
"That's Canterlot," Dash answered. "Capital city of Equestria. That particular part is actually the South Castle."
"South Castle?" Flandre piped up.
"Yeah. It's where the Princesses live. I'm surprised they haven't actually taken an interest in you biped guys yet,"
"It is strange how we can move about without anyone botherin' us," Marisa agreed. "Well, works for us."
"So where do you guys come from?" Dash asked, descending to avoid a cloud.
"Gensokyo. We arrived her after a big incident back home."
"What happened?"
"You see this adorable pile of vampire?" Marisa said, pointing at Flandre.
"What!?"
"Relax. We tamed her," Marisa assured, giving a small harmless head rub to the vampire. "Anyway, someone from back home got really high, and they started to rip apart reality like an angry child with a napkin."
"Really," Dash sneered. "That's real likely."
"No, it's true. And while she did that, this little tyke here blew things up. Caused a lot of confusion and some people fell into the gaps. Luckily, my friend Reimu and I ended up together," Marisa explained, sighting red and blue lights in the distance. "You know that air battle two days ago?"
"Operation Firefly?" Dash replied.
"Yeah. That was just to take Flandre here down."
"I thought the Rapier Squadron killed her?" Dash questioned. "I mean, I know some members of Rapier Squadron, and Radar Lock said he killed her personally."
"We convinced them to say that, only because we needed to look after her."
Dash noticed the police lights at Fluttershy's cottage. "Something's wrong. Follow me!"
The pegasus, witch and vampire followed each other in formation as they descended towards the cottage.
Sakuya opened the large double doors, panting as she bowed before Remilia. "Mistress...we've searched Gensokyo twice over. Flandre was nowhere to be seen..."
"Then it is as I feared most..." Remilia answered calmly. "Flandre has exited Gensokyo somehow. It must have been that Incident at Moriya Shrine!"
"What do you mean?"
"Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame and my sister disappeared during the Class One there. I have noticed the nearby fairies have also been more agitated than usual. Meiling has never reported so many fairy attacks before now..." Remilia explained, sipping her tea. "...Sakuya, we are dealing with something beyond us. This means it's pretty big."
The vampire stood up.
"We're dealing with her." Remilia groaned. She hated dealing with Yukari sometimes. Especially when she took it over the top like this.
At this, a large purple tear appeared over Remilia. The vampire spun around and immediately recognized the gap as one of Yukari's, while the maid drew a butterfly knife from a band on her leg.
"Yukari's not here. Please leave a message after the beep," an evil female voice boomed.
"Oh no...Fluttershy!" Dash yelled, trying to get past the police officers while Marisa and Flandre watched.
"Miss, this is a hostage situation!" the officer shouted, trying to push back the strong pegasus. "It's not safe!"
"What's going on?" Marisa asked the officer.
"Some biped's taken hostages."
"...Describe her."
"Blue dress, wings. Why? Friend of yours?"
"Oh, dammit!" Marisa shouted. "It's Cirno."
"Is that her name?"
"Yeah. She's a really dumb fairy. Let me past and I'll deal with her."
"Can't do that, Ma'am," the officer responded. "We don't know what she's capable of."
"She has ice magic, and she's very stupid," Marisa explained. "I'll even take the kid here."
"Why would you do that?!" the officer asked, shocked.
"Because fire beats ice," Marisa replied, smiling slyly.
"Wait, what?"
"Ugh...Just get out of my way," Marisa groaned, pushing the officer out of her and Flandre's path. "Give me five minutes, and you'll get your hostage safe and sound!"
Marisa and Flandre pressed themselves against the outside wall, before Marisa opened the front door outwards. The officers took cover as a barrage of ice danmaku flew out. When it halted, Marisa ran in, firing her own star danmaku and forcing Cirno into cover. Flandre followed, firing her own magic. The vampire's danmaku bullets left large scorch marks in the walls.
"What?!" Cirno yelled, looking at Marisa, before coming out of cover. "Well, if it isn't old black-white!"
"Hey! I'm not old!" Marisa turned to Flandre. "Am I?"
The vampire shook her head, before turning to Cirno and holding her arm up. She pointed at the fairy, before lining up a gap between her fingers with the ice fairy's head. Marisa noticed the girl's activity in the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything.
"So what brings you to my house?" Cirno asked, as if she was completely innocent.
"It's not your house. Where's the hostages?" Marisa demanded.
"You people keep saying that!" Cirno complained. "For the last time, I don't know any hostages!"
"Uh huh," Marisa deadpanned. "Flandre!"
The vampire connected her fingers, and the fairy disappeared in an explosion. Marisa shielded her eyes with her hand, before looking at Flandre.
"Boom goes the dynamite, am I right?"
Outside, the police officers cowered at the explosion.
"Should we go in now?" an officer asked.
"No! It's too dangerous!" the captain snapped. "Somepony will get killed if we go in!"
Inside the house, Marisa and Flandre stared at the fairy's previous position.
"Alright, you stay here and wait for her to come back. I'll check the house," Marisa ordered, patting Flandre on the shoulder.
Marisa climbed the stairs, and saw the ice statues of Rarity and Fluttershy.
"Oh, Hell no..." Marisa whispered, checking the statues. She ran back downstairs, only to see Cirno's form rebuilding in a ball of light. As soon as the resurrection was complete, Marisa grabbed the fairy by the collar and slammed her against the wall.
"What did you do to Rarity and Fluttershy!?"
"I did what to who now? Why are you grabbing me!? I've done nothing!" Cirno yelled. "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!"
"What? You took hostages! You committed a crime!"
"Oh sure, just because I'm a fairy, I did something! You humans are all racist, you know that!?" Cirno complained loudly, not quite getting the point. "Always keeping the fairies down! Where's your evidence?"
"...The couch is frozen, and you were yelling that you owned this house now."
"Got any proof that I did that?"
"We can easily blow you up again!" Marisa threatened. "There are two frozen ponies upstairs!"
"Hah! You said 'people,' not 'ponies!'" Cirno defended. "This is an illegal arrest! I want a lawyer!"
"I am the law, you idiot!" Marisa replied, her patience with the fairy wearing extremely thin.
"Oh sure, just because you suck up to the red-white! She's not the law, and you're not the law!" Cirno argued.
Marisa facepalmed. "Listen, you're gonna march upstairs and thaw them two out. Got it?"
"...Thaw who out?"
Marisa facepalmed again. She had forgotten just how stupid some fairies were. She grabbed Cirno's arm and led her to the ice statues.
"These guys!"
"Oh. Yeah, give me a second." Cirno nodded. The ice started melting around Fluttershy. When the mare was completely thawed, she gasped deeply and began hyperventilating.
"Flandre! Run Fluttershy to the nice people outside!" Marisa ordered.
Flandre nodded, before she led Fluttershy outside. The police officers pointed.
"One hostage is out! We're gonna need an ambulance!" the captain ordered into his radio, watching Flandre run past him. "Repeat, one bird is out of the cage!"
Marisa pointed at Rarity. "Thaw her. And be damn careful about it."
The ice fairy focused as she reclaimed the ice from Rarity's body. Marisa watched as the mare thawed out. The ice cracked, as slabs of it fell to the floor. The mare gasped, before looking at her ruined mane, and moving to strangle the fairy.
"Woah woah! Rarity!" Marisa snapped, pulling the enraged pony off of Cirno with some effort. "It's fine!"
"Let me at her!" Rarity screamed. "I'll teach her to freeze me!"
"Rarity, come on...Go outside."
Rarity calmed down, before walking past the witch and fairy and out of the house.
"The two birdies are free!" the captain yelled to his officers, before they saw Marisa and Cirno walking out; the witch's hand holding the fairy's hands behind her back.
"That's her!" the captain shouted.
The police officers surrounded Cirno.
"Get down on the ground! You are under arrest!" the officer screamed at Cirno, putting a pair of plastic cuffs on the fairy's hands. A unicorn officer hoisted Cirno up by the hoofcuffs, before levitating the fairy into the back of a police carriage. Marisa could still hear her complaining about 'illegal arrest' and 'oppression' as the carriage pulled away.
Princess Celestia woke with a start. Her dreams were invaded by shadows of demons. A thousand eyes stared at her.
She rubbed her eyes, before staring straight ahead. There was another being there.
"You are not to talk in my presence," the being said, her dark purple dress reflecting the evil aura around her. "You are to enact the order that the humans Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, vampire Flandre Scarlet, and the pilot known as Mobius One be arrested."
"What?!" Celestia cried. The dark influence was persuading her, but she attempted to fight it.
"They are currently in the Carousel Boutique, Ponyville. You know where that is."
"No! I will not do your bidding!"
"Scream all you want. The boundaries are set. You will do this."
"You hold no power over me!" Celestia growled, standing up and lighting up her horn. "Go back to the shadows!"
Celestia fired repeated magic bolts at the biped, but she avoided every single blast.
"I have made myself clear, Celestia, Daughter of Sol."
"Who are you?!" Celestia ordered.
"My name is Lady Yukari Yakumo," the youkai of boundaries introduced herself, her blonde hair flashing green for a spilt second, while her eyes changed color from gold to green. "I am the undisputed ruler of Gensokyo and Equestria."
"What are you talking about!? My sister and I are the rulers of this country!"
"Not any more. Your final order is the arrest of the persons I have stated," Yukari growled. She almost wished she had kept Yukari's shinigami around, instead of sealing her into a rock in order for her not to disrupt her plan.
Yukari's right hand began attempting to go for her own neck, before Yukari brought it under control with her left. Celestia noticed how Yukari's eyes changed color during the outburst.
Is she insane? Or is she possessed!?
"You will stay quiet, Yakumo." Yukari whispered to herself. She turned back to the Sun Princess. "Make the order. Or I will make it for you."
Yukari summoned two circles. Both had two white dots inside. She moved the white dot of the first one beyond the boundary of benevolence and tyranny, while she moved the second beyond the boundary of resistance and submissiveness.
Celestia felt as if she was watching herself, unable to do anything as she picked up the emergency telephone with her magic and called the military high command.
"Hello?"
"This is Princess Celestia. Send a battalion of Royal Guards to Ponyville."
"Ponyville, Princess?" the general on the other end of the line asked.
"Yes. The targets are in Carousel Boutique, Ponyville, District of Canterlot." Celestia's body said, as her mind desperately attempted to rebel. "All bipeds in the building are to be arrested and imprisoned in the Castle Dungeons."
"Are you sure, Princess?" the general on the other end answered. "Arrest orders do not tend to impress the public much..."
Yukari moved a second dot beyond the boundary of resistance and submissiveness.
"We will do it right away," the general responded.
The line went dead.
"Now, I want to make sure that you do not do anything silly like write a pardon, child," Yukari mocked, looking at her nails casually. "So you are going to be quite quiet for a while."
Celestia could only stare as a bloodied knife materialized in the left hand of Yukari.
Using the knife, she moved a dot beyond the boundary of sleep and wakefulness. Celestia felt sleep overwhelm her.
Yukari laughed. "At last, vengeance against the shrine maiden. Vengeance on her accursed family...and vengeance on the witch who dared betray me. Finally, I will be avenged!"
Yukari looked down at herself.
"I am sorry, Miss Yakumo, that I was forced to use your powers this way. But you're a Youkai, and these powers can't be wasted on such a simple creature as yourself."
"Let me go, Mima!" Yukari's true voice cried.
"Oh, stop complaining," Mima's voice responded. "You're giving me a headache."
The five unicorn soldiers lined up against the door. Checking their leg mounted rifles, they nodded to each other. Looking up into the sky, they examined their watches. It was almost 6AM and the sun had not risen.
"Three...two...one!" the leader ordered, before pointing to the door. "Now!"
The soldiers rushed in. They secured the living room, before kicking down the guest bedroom door. Marisa pushed Reimu's arm off herself as she sat up in the bed, only for a soldier to punch her in the face and put plastic hoofcuffs on her wrists. She looked at the other soldiers arresting Flandre, Mobius One stood up and kicked Flandre's arresting soldier in the head, causing him to backflip into the wall head-first, before the others moved to attack. He positioned himself between the soldiers and Flandre, wildly lashing out at anypony threatening Flandre.
"Command said no kills!" the captain yelled.
"Can we make one excep-Oof!" a soldier yelled as Mobius punched the soldier in the face. The captain moved to engage him, and kicked him the knee, sending Mobius to the floor. He looked towards Flandre as a unicorn soldier picked her up with his magic and carried the screaming vampire outside. Mobius started thrashing at the girl's cries, trying to break free of the restraints on his wrists.
"Dammit, this one's pesky!" Mobius' arresting soldier grunted. "Stop moving!"
"Don't panic Hunter 3," the captain chuckled. "He'll shut up soon."
"I think it's that girl! Shut her up!"
"What, you're suggesting that these things feel love?" the captain replied. "We got briefed on these things. Highly dangerous invasive species. Tried attacking several soldiers, including Rapier Squadron."
"What did we do!?" Reimu screamed.
"You're all under arrest for treason. Princess' orders."
"But we didn't do anything!"
"It's not exactly our job to care," the captain told Reimu. "Control says that they also had a biped in the local jail. She's been transferred to us."
"What is all this noise!?" Rarity shouted, wearing her nightgown.
"These guys are terrorists."
"What?"
"Yep. Attacked several soldiers."
"But...they tried to save some soldiers!"
"I'm not paid to talk to you. Let's get these guys into the truck!"
The soldiers bundled the prisoners into the back of their truck, before turning around.
"Hey, where's Hunter 5?"
The soldiers re-entered the guest bedroom and turned the light on.
There was a large splat of blood on the wall, and an unconscious Royal Guard.
"Hunter 5 requires a medic!"
Marisa opened her eyes slowly. The bright light on the ceiling stung her eyes and only worsened the massive headache that made her head feel like an oni was pounding a hammer against it, as she turned her head around. She saw Reimu, Cirno and Mobius - Reimu and Cirno were sitting on a small bed on one side of the cell, and Mobius was sitting on the floor next to Marisa.
"Wow...great party last night!" Marisa slurred in confusion.
"It's not good, Marisa..." Reimu whispered. "We've been arrested for no reason."
"I thought the reason was treason?" Cirno corrected.
"Shut up, Cirno."
"I want my lawyer!" Cirno yelled out of the cell. "I am so going to tell the news about this!"
"Shut up!" a distant voice shouted back. "Damn biped."
Marisa sat up and rubbed her face. In the reflection of Cirno's wing, she noticed that she had a black eye.
"Where's Flandre?"
"Separate cell. Apparently, Mobius turned violent," Reimu explained, pointing at Mobius. "He didn't draw his 'sidearm' though. Which is good, because it means he might still have it if the soldiers didn't notice it."
"Sidearm?" Marisa asked.
"Flandre said that Mobius had a weapon for himself in the truck."
Mobius nodded to confirm the fact, and he pointed at his holster.
"It was totally awesome to watch!" Cirno said excitedly. "He knocked out seven soldiers before they got him down! One of them is in the hospital with a broken neck!"
"Why?"
"One of them yelled at Flandre," Cirno replied. "He flipped his lid."
"Reminder: Don't ever mess with Flandre Scarlet when Mobius One is in the room," Marisa joked. "Alright, so we can't blast the door; it might kill us in the explosion..."
"...This is why I waited," Reimu smiled.
The cellmates thought of their own plans, before a small purple tear appeared in the floor in front of them. From the tear, Yukari Yakumo floated upwards, standing on the hole.
"Yukari!" Reimu cheered. "You have no idea how pleased I am to see you!"
"Shut up," Yukari interrupted, in a voice not quite her own. "I've come to say goodbye."
"What!?" Marisa yelled.
"In a matter of hours, from this window here." Yukari explained, pointing at the barred window. "You will observe a lovely meteor event."
"Meteor event?!" Cirno asked angrily. Mobius just stared at Yukari.
"Yes...a meteor known as Gensokyo will crash into the center of Ponyville," Yukari laughed.
"Why?!" Reimu protested. The gap youkai had turned evil.
"Consider it vengeance, Hakurei," Yukari turned to the shrine maiden. "I believe your ancestors will be pleased to meet you."
"...No," Marisa whispered. She recognized the voice. "...Mima?"
"Ten points to my lovely minion!" Mima mocked, turning around to the angered witch. "My, Marisa. You've grown a lot since I last saw you. Of course, I didn't see you. You shot me in the back, you worthless coward."
"How did you escape the seal?" Reimu asked, watching Marisa seethe with anger. Cirno had said nothing. Mobius was simply listening to everything Mima was saying.
"Simple. You're simply not good at sealing things."
"Where did I fall into this!?" Cirno asked.
"Well, people had to go missing, no?" Mima explained. "I'll use simple words, fairy: People go missing. Flandre Scarlet go missing. Gensokyo scared. People no go out of house until too late."
"Don't you dare talk down to me," Cirno seethed. "I am Cirno!"
"Uh huh. Real cute," Mima mocked. "Well, if I were you, I'd ask your lovely hosts for popcorn."
"Why would you destroy two worlds!?"
"Well...you love Gensokyo, and this world is collateral damage," Mima explained. "Basically, Hakurei, because you're too stupid to get how a meteor works - A large bit of rock is going to impact this planet. The planet is going to explode. Meanwhile, the Outside World will be wondering why a giant crater appeared where a mountain range used to be. Your home and everyone you love will die. And Equestria has to explode too, but I can live with that."
With that, Mima turned to Marisa.
"It's a shame, my child. You bite the hand that feeds you, and expect not to get slapped. That was always your failure, Marisa. It's a shame, really; you were the only daughter I had."
Mima disappeared into the gap as it closed behind her, closely followed by Marisa's fist, which only punched the hard concrete floor.
"How did she learn how to use gaps!?" Reimu screamed in confusion.
"She must have possessed Yukari!" Marisa replied, shaking her hand in pain. "We gotta get out of here now!"
"I have an idea..." Cirno whispered. "Follow my lead."
Cirno jumped from her seat and grabbed Marisa. She began slapping the witch as hard as she can.
"Hey! What are you doing!? Hey, cut it out!" Marisa yelled. "You maniac!"
"Keep yelling! Nobody can hear you!" Cirno shouted, tilting her head towards the bars, continuing her assault. Mobius tried to pull the fairy off the witch, to no avail.
Reimu caught Cirno's plan and leaned against the bars. "Help! My cellmate's gone crazy!"
There were hoofsteps, and then a guard appeared. He fumbled for his keys before opening the door.
"Now!" Cirno ordered, freezing the guard's forelegs, before kicking him in the face. The guard's sunglasses flew off his face, in time to see Marisa's boot meeting his face. The guard's head slammed against the floor with a crack. He attempted to get up again, only for Mobius to punch him. The third strike slammed the guard's head to the floor a second time, knocking him out.
"Alright, he's down..." Marisa panted. "I don't see why I had to get physically beat though."
"I had to make it look convincing," Cirno replied. "Sorry about that, by the way. His legs should thaw...hopefully."
"What if they don't?"
"I hope that he remembers the 'two leg' jokes," Cirno laughed. "I love irony."
"...I think I have a newfound respect for you, Cirno," Marisa approved, taking the keys from the guard's belt. "Now we gotta find Flandre."
They heard a distant series of explosions. Reimu, Cirno, Marisa and Mobius walked out of the cell.
"High Security Inmate Scarlet, Flandre is escaping! She has engaged multiple security teams! Confirmed fatalities! Code Red! All security units prepare for Special Suppression Protocol One! This is not a drill! SSP One is active!"
"She's managed well enough on her own," Reimu noted. "Let's meet up with her."
"Where can we meet up?"
"Outside, maybe?" Cirno interjected. "And then we can fly out of here."
"Good idea...Except that we'll be wanted by the government..." Reimu worried.
"Then we gotta make sure that we get outta here quick!"
"Come on!" Cirno beckoned. "We need to follow the explosions."
"Or..." Marisa aimed her mini-Hakkero back towards the back of the cell. "Master Spark!"
The mini-Hakkero spewed forth the rainbow colored laser Marisa had come to trust with every one of life's problems. The shrine maiden, pilot and ice fairy covered their eyes while Marisa grinned with laser-induced glee. Whether it was a microwave meal that refused to cook evenly, or a battalion of hungry armored youkai, the Master Spark was always there as a Plan B. She adjusted her arms to deal with the magic recoil, as she could see the laser bypass the wall in a large explosion.
The laser died down, and Marisa blew smoke from the top of the little furnace, before replacing it back into her pocket.
"Do you ever solve problems without that?" Cirno asked.
"Nope!" Marisa smiled innocently. She looked around the dungeon corridor, before noticing a wet floor sign, and a bucket and mop. She walked over and picked up the mop to use as a broom. "Come on, let's see where we are."
"Run! Get back!" a soldier cried, firing her gun down the corridor, sprinting backwards as fast as she could move away from the deviously grinning vampire.
"Don't you, want to play with me?" Flandre sang. "You might think I'm crazy...But I just think I'm free!"
"Control, this is Grizzly 4! Requesting riot units! Passageway Seventeen!"
"We cannot spare any back up at the moment. Go after the target without additional assistance."
"Bollocks to that, Control! We're pulling out! We've lost seven ponies already!"
"Are we all here?" Reimu asked. She looked at Mobius waving.
"Aye!" Cirno responded.
"I'm here," Marisa sounded back. She turned towards the castle as she saw an explosion rip through the roof. "Woah! You reckon that's Flandre!?"
"Of course it is," Reimu smiled. "I hope we can reach her..."
Mobius focused as hard as he could.
Flandre...get above the castle! We're waiting for you over Ponyville!
Mobius then heard exactly what he didn't want to hear through his helmet.
"Rapier 1 on standby." a familiar male voice said calmly.
"Rapier 2 through 6 on standby!" a female voice announced.
"Rapier 7 on standby!" a young male voice shouted.
"Wonderbolt Spitfire on standby!" a harsh female voice announced.
"Wonderbolt Soarin, standing by." a casual male voice sounded
"Wonderbolt Fleetfoot, awaiting orders!" another female voice shouted.
Multiple enemy fighters incoming!
"Dammit," Reimu spat.
Leave Rapier 1 to me - he seems to be their leader. If I shoot him down, they'll break off before things get ugly!
Mobius stared into the dark morning sky. The lights at Canterlot Castle flickered out. Flandre must have destroyed the generators powering the place. He noticed Rapier 1 breaking formation.
"I see them! Got a tally ho on the bandits!" Rapier 3 cried, firing her gun at Cirno. The ice fairy narrowly avoided the deadly metal storm and fired her ice danmaku back.
"Only Equestrian fighters should flying this airspace!" Spitfire ordered. "Sweep them from our skies!"
Mobius barrel-rolled while Marisa fired star danmaku towards the underside of a pegasi. The pegasi screamed in terror as she began spiralling to earth, unable to regain her flight.
"Rapier 4 is down!" Rapier 1 announced, firing a missile towards Reimu. "Rapier 1, Fox Two!"
"Bravo 1 here. All teams are on the 13th Floor." a lower-class Trottingham accent announced. "We can't get any doors to open. They're on electronic locks. We'll hold the position until the generators are restored. Hurry up!"
"Here she comes. Don't let her get past Panel K!"
"Shield, use your grenades!"
Gunfire filled the radio waves, making Mobius wince a little at the volume. Sounds of magic fire punctuated the gunshots. Suddenly, Mobius could hear a jet-like noise.
"Dammit! She's found a flamethrower!"
"Shoot! Shoot! Over by the stairs!"
The ground team's radio cut out from Mobius' helmet.
The shrine maiden ascended into the air and grabbed the missile, before throwing it back towards Rapier 1. The elite ace narrowly dodged the errant missile, watching it fly into the Canterlot mountainside.
"Missile shot trashed!" Rapier 1 announced. He turned around, only to get hit in the back with a star. "Who was it that shot me!? See who's responsible for that shot!"
Reimu drew her gohei from her sleeve. Holding it in her left hand, she swung it at the incoming pegasi. When the orange maned combat flier turned around to see the source of the impact, she saw a flash of light from Reimu's palm, before being blasted at high speed to the ground.
"Oh! Spitfire's been hit!" the male Wonderbolt panicked.
"Soarin! Get a grip, you've got to take over command!" Fleetfoot replied. "This is Wonderbolt Fleetfoot, requesting reinforcements!"
"Fleetfoot, Wonderbolt Squadron 616 is inbound to your position. Hold the line," the AWACS replied.
"...I'm going down!" a Rapier pegasi cried, Marisa's danmaku continuing to pound the pegasi.
Cirno looked behind her. There were three pegasi on her tail. Sighing, she turned around and flew at them, spraying ice at them. The three pegasi broke the chase, however one launched a missile. Cirno realised too late as the explosion consumed her.
"Bandit down!" Rapier 7 laughed.
Dammit...Marisa! I'm going to get them on our tail! You laser them!
"Best command yet!" Marisa responded, aiming her mini-Hakkero backwards.
"This is Wonderbolt Dash! Got visual on the bandits! Fox Two!" Dash yelled, firing both her missiles towards Reimu.
"Why me!?" Reimu complained, flying upwards and over the blue pegasi. "Is this what getting chased by a homing amulet feels like?!"
Dash noticed the pursuing shrine maiden.
"Bandit on my six. Shake her off!" Dash ordered. The Wonderbolt to her side fired his gun towards Reimu. Mobius flew alongside the male Wonderbolt and drew his pistol, before firing five times. The Wonderbolt convulsed with each shot before falling to earth, blood trailing behind him.
"Dammit! One of mine went down!" Dash shouted, firing at Mobius in vengeance, still jerking widely to avoid Reimu's own shots. One of the homing amulets connected with Dash's hind leg. The newbie Wonderbolt grunted in pain as she observed the large wound on her leg "This is Wonderbolt Dash! I'm wounded!"
Dash's second Wonderbolt chased after Mobius and Marisa. The witch turned around, and fired a large barrage of danmaku. The Wonderbolt was struck multiple times, before falling limply.
Dash watched her Wonderbolt fall, blood trailing behind him. She looked at Mobius, before Marisa fired a bolt of magic at her. The blue pegasus gasped, before being struck. Her hoof-mounted gun fell off from the impact, and she was out of missiles. She was effectively disarmed.
"I'm out of ammo! Wi-" Dash cried into the radio, before Marisa fired a second barrage. All the bullets struck Dash, causing her to start falling.
In the distance, a ball of light appeared, before Cirno reappeared. She looked towards the air battle, before smiling.
"Ooh, a game!" Cirno smiled. "Hey guys! Can I play too?"
"Cirno!" Marisa yelled. "Get these guys!"
The sound of gunfire and explosions filled the radio again. "Tango 2 here, we need backup on Passageway 6!"
"Tango 2, block off the target!" Bravo 1 ordered. "Don't give up!"
"Pull back! Pull back!"
"Leave him! He's dead!" a soldier cried, Flandre's childish laugh developing into a roar, before there were four different giggles.
"They are not retreating! They are regrouping!"
Rapier 1 looked around. He had counted at least four allies shot down, and he himself was wounded. Rainbow Dash had been shot down too, leaving only two Wonderbolts and five of his Rapiers, not including himself. He looked towards the witch and the enemy pilot, Mobius.
"If it's a fight you want, Mobius One...it's a fight you're getting!" Rapier 1 grunted, before flying at the pair. Marisa turned around, watching the enemy flier, before aiming the mini-Hakkero.
"Master Spark!" Marisa declared, watching as Rapier 1's wing got caught in the beam. He yelped as he continued to fire his weapon uselessly at her as he fell.
"Rapier 1 is down!" Rapier 3 cried. "I'm pulling out to make sure he lives!"
Rapier 3 took one last look at the battle before flying for the stricken Rapier 1.
"She's cornered us at Panel B! Our path of retreat's been cut off! We're trapped!"
"Charlie 3 here! We can't hold it any longer! We're pulling back!"
"No! Don't give up yet!" Bravo 1 cried. Multiple explosions signifying how truly doomed the entire unit was against Flandre.
"Did...did he just explode into bloo-" a soldier yelled, before being cut off suddenly.
"Charlie 1? Come in! Where are you!?" Bravo 1 sighed. "We'll be annihilated soon."
"Have they restored the generator yet?!"
"Where's the Princesses!?"
"Princess Luna's refused to leave until Princess Celestia is by her side!"
Fleetfoot flew at Mobius and Marisa. Marisa noticed the enemy Wonderbolt, before firing danmaku. The magic bullets struck the pegasi on the back. Fleetfoot howled, before a well timed kick from Mobius knocked her out. The lights in Canterlot Castle suddenly came on.
"The locks are working! Break through! Break through!" Bravo 1 yelled. "Get this control room under control!"
The sound of gunfire died off.
"We'll get the AP guns online! Don't let those pegasi die!"
It was too late. The radio crackled with an explosion and screams, before there was silence. Reimu looked towards Canterlot Castle as a small tower fell into the ravine, Flandre's wings producing a rainbow trail from the firestorm as she rejoined the group.
There was a tremendous noise. The fighting stopped as everybody looked towards Ponyville.
A giant, eye-filled tear was opening above the town. The pegasi looked at each other.
"Rapier 2 here...have I gone crazy?"
"No, I'm seeing it too!" Soarin yelled.
Reimu pointed. "Everyone! We've got to get up there before it's too late!"
Mobius aimed the broom towards the gap and started climbing. Flandre followed close behind, followed by Cirno and Reimu.
The pegasi of the Rapier Squadron stole a hate-filled look at the bipeds before following Soarin back to Canterlot.
Reimu entered the gap. Touching down on an invisible floor, she felt the eyes watching her. The others followed closely behind. Landing beside Reimu, they looked around. Mobius reloaded his gun with a fresh magazine, while Flandre stuck close.
I don't like this place.
"Nobody ever does," Reimu replied, before turning to Mobius. "Wait, you-"
"Yeah, he does that," Flandre explained. "Don't worry about it."
Is there a way to tell which way is home?
"We have to wait until Yuk- Mima appears..." Marisa said, walking forward cautiously, mini-Hakkero in hand. "This place gives me the worst type of creeps."
"Yukari always loved the creepy stuff..." Reimu replied sadly. "...I hope there's a way to bring her back."
"Nope!" Mima's voice boomed, before the body of Yukari appeared, floating above them.
"Well, usually we have to fight off a load of other idiots before finding the head idiot," Marisa joked. "It's nice that you showed up yourself instead of throwing lackeys at us."
"So, why are you doing this?!" Reimu interrogated. "If you wanted revenge against me, fine. Come and fight me, but leave everything and everyone else out of it!"
"This isn't just about you," Mima snapped back. She pointed at Marisa. "It's her as well."
"You took someone as a slave!"
"I was within my full right to," Mima explained. "Where do you get off telling your mother what she can and cannot do!?"
"...You're not my mother," Marisa growled. "You just happened to be in charge of me."
"Marisa, I would not have ever done this had you simply kept your mouth shut. So you get to die, knowing that your precious friend Alice is going to die too."
"...You should've faced me personally," Marisa barked. "You just can't leave things be, can you? Not even death stopped you from dropping an issue. Your problem lies with Reimu's ancestor, but now you're going to drag it out and involve billions of people. Just because you can't get your own way. Mima, whatever happened to you happened hundreds of years ago. Let it go."
"...Marisa, you're talking to a vengeful spirit. These guys are the embodiment of 'can't let it go,'" Reimu corrected. "It's just that this one is extra-special."
Mobius raised his hand.
How did I get involved!?
"I needed practice, didn't I?" Mima answered. "I ripped open the wrong world. Guess you fell in."
...So my entire presence here was a mistake. That's...actually answered a lot of questions.
"Glad to be of service," Mima replied politely.
"Alright, that's it!" Cirno yelled. "I want to go home right now!"
"It's passing through here, in a matter of minutes," Mima laughed.
"Not if I can help it..." Reimu whispered.
The shrine maiden stared at her possessed friend. The combined powers of Yukari and Mima made it too risky to fight her, even with the back up she had. Mima would not hold back either - she would simply kill everyone. Reimu decided that risking the others' lives wasn't worth it - if nothing else, someone had to be around to stop her. Mima wouldn't play by the rules, so Reimu wasn't either. She was taking a different approach.
"Mima...I've tolerated many things from many people, because that was just the way they were. I like to imagine myself a patient person...and my patience with you has run out," Reimu declared. She turned to Marisa, Mobius, Flandre and Cirno, before turning back to Mima. "So if you want vengeance, come and take it. Just leave Gensokyo and Equestria out of it. Your issue is with me."
"Reimu!" Marisa yelled. "That's suicide! She's too powerful!"
"I know."
"What?!" Marisa cried. "I thought you were stronger than that!"
"Marisa, the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. If this maniac would stop all that in exchange for myself, then I will let her do anything she wants to me," Reimu whispered, putting herself forward. "Torture me, kill me...Just make sure it ends with me. Send these people home. Close the gap."
"On my honor be it," Mima promised, putting her right hand on her heart. "I promise that of you."
Marisa stopped Reimu just before she put herself in front of the vengeful spirit.
"You don't have to do this. We can just kick her ass and it'll be fine!" Marisa pleaded. "Just...don't do this."
Reimu sighed. Marisa was not getting the plan. She needed a way to tell her without Mima suspecting anything...
Reimu looked at the floor. She could think of only one thing, and it was one idea she would have rather acted on in peacetime.
The shrine maiden leaned in close to Marisa, and gave her a small peck on the surprised witch's lips.
"Reimu...I..." Marisa stuttered. She never knew that Reimu had felt that way towards her. She felt her heart rate increase. Dammit, I know she's pretty and all that, but you don't even like girls! Marisa thought at herself. ...Although I've never really thought about it...
Reimu embraced the witch and leaned in close, noticing her facial expression and blush. "I'm distracting her. Don't get funny ideas. Shoot her."
Mima's knife materialized in her left hand.
"Aww, I never knew you two were like that. Well, you should've introduced me to her, young Marisa. So I could've screamed at you for choosing the wrong woman."
She advanced on the shrine maiden, who had gotten to her knees. Marisa was already thinking of ways and opportunities to interrupt the execution, but every train of thought led back to the kiss.
Cirno clenched her fists, watching the scene. She knew that it would save everybody, but she was struggling with her own conscience. I can't let her die like this...it's just weak!
Flandre hid her eyes away and hid behind Mobius, unwilling to watch the brutal execution.
Mobius stared at the scene, waiting for an opening. He wasn't going to let a wingman die. He slowly moved his hand over to his holster. His breathing became heavy as he waited.
"Your spirit is admirable. 'Tis a shame it was wasted on one such as yourself, Hakurei," Mima mocked, standing over the kneeling shrine maiden, who was looking up to expose her throat in order to make the 'surrender' more convincing. "Ah. You've given me the perfect target. Considerate."
You better deliver, Marisa... Reimu thought, slightly nervous. Or I'm coming back to haunt you.
Reimu closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. She thought about everything she had done with her life. She desperately hoped that Marisa would pull through. She had heard that getting your throat slashed was slightly painful and was not recommended by most people.
Mobius unclipped the button on his leather holster as Mima raised the knife to swing at Reimu's throat. He drew his pistol and aimed just to the side of Mima's head.
Can't kill her. I've got to make sure she at least doesn't inflict lethal damage.
Marisa noticed the pilot's aiming.
"He better know what he's doing...please know what you're doing..." Marisa whispered to herself, watching the pilot. She got into a combat stance to prepare for the unspoken attack plan.
Mobius squeezed the trigger and Marisa fired a barrage of danmaku as Mima began the cut. The evil spirit ducked at the gunshot and magic as Reimu put her head down trying to get to the ground, however, the blade still connected. Reimu slumped back and lay on the floor clutching the right side of her face. Marisa and Cirno ran to aid her. They rolled over the shrine maiden and examined her face. Reimu resisted their efforts to move her blood-stained hand, before Cirno finally pinned it down.
"Her eye!" Cirno reacted, examining the wound. "...That's just sick."
"Cirno, cool this down," Marisa ordered, ripping a strip of fabric from her apron. The fairy touched the cloth, and Marisa felt her hand go numb. She wrapped it up over her hand and pressed it against the wound, cleaning it. "It's okay. I'm here for you. I'm here."
"Wow, when did you get so worked up?" Reimu laughed weakly.
"You've been there for me before. Now it's my turn!" Marisa replied, trying to control the bleeding. "It's only a bit of facial bleeding! It's fine!"
The pilot aimed his gun at the possessed youkai, before turning his head to Flandre.
Run! Get to Reimu! I'll handle this!
Flandre did as she was told as the youkai bore down on Mobius. The pilot blankly stared the spirit in the eye, before lowering his gun. He aimed it at the youkai's leg, and squeezed the trigger again. Mima howled, before the pilot rolled to avoid the retalitory strike. He stood up behind the youkai, now floating to take pressure off the wounded leg, before grabbing her from behind. Mima gasped, before clamping her teeth on Mobius' arm. The pilot jerked back, before Mima spun around and slashed her knife at the pilot. Mobius jumped back and grabbed the youkai's arm. Mima growled, and flung her entire right arm at the pilot, smashing him in the face. Mobius recoiled and shook his head, before marching forward, constantly punching. The possessed youkai had little time to react under the flurry of blows, before Mobius swung his leg around and sweeped Mima's legs. She landed on the ground, before feeling the pilot plant an axe kick into her ribs.
Do you know what 'nemesis' means?
Mima looked up weakly, feeling herself lose control.
A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent...
Mobius picked up the youkai, whose eyes were rapidly changing color. Mima's hand moved to stab Mobius, before an unknown force prevented it.
...Personified in this case by a horrible bastard.
` Mobius headbutted the youkai to the ground again.
Me.
Mobius noticed that the spirit was now struggling to remain in control. However, she rapidly floated back up, before dragging her knife across the pilot's chest in a blind rage. Mobius looked down. He put his hand to his chest, and checked his glove.
Blood. Quite a bit of it.
"You should know better than to interfere, pilot," Mima scolded, kicking Mobius to the ground for the final blow, her eyes starting to switch color back to Mima's. She felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned around and was met with a haymaker to the face that knocked her flying into the ground. She looked up at the attacker.
It was Cirno. A fairy. Who just punched the strongest spirit in the body of the strongest youkai.
"You're going to regret that!" Mima spat, rising from the floor, trying not use her injured leg.
"No you!" Cirno bellowed. Mobius clutched his wound as he hobbled away, trying to get out of the combat zone. "A fairy can't regret anything! We're too fairy to care about your mere regrets! And I don't want anything you're selling! So take that!"
"I...what?" Mima replied, confused. She knew fairies were stupid, but she clearly underestimated the rumors.
"Exactly," Cirno laughed, putting her hands on her hips and smiling pridefully. While Mima was trying to process the conversation, Cirno leaped onto her, and began slapping Yukari in the face. "Hey! I know you're over there! Get this spirit out of you or I'm going to give you a right good thumping!"
Reimu opened her left eye and looked over to the scene. She smiled at the fairy and gave a thumbs up, before laying her head down again.
The fairy's assault stopped. Mima looked straight up. It was the sight she absolutely did not want to see while she was defenceless.
Flandre Scarlet.
With a glare that could sink battleships.
Literally.
"Hello, miss," Flandre smiled sweetly. Her eyes flashed with pure rage. "I want to play a game."
Mima felt herself separating from Yukari's body. The youkai was winning. Not through fear of the Scarlet, but by sheer determination. The fear of Flandre Scarlet might have been an enhancer though.
"Mima! You have overstayed your welcome!" Yukari's voice bellowed. She tried desperately to ignore the agony in her leg.
The spirit flew from Yukari's body. Mima floated gently away from the others, before turning around.
A shrine maiden, a witch, a vampire, a fairy, a fighter pilot and a gap youkai were all glaring at her.
"I can explain everything," Mima pleaded. Her plan was defeated.
"Do it then. Impress me," Reimu grunted, the blood loss making her dizzy. "Come on, you've robbed me of my sight, you owe me this much."
"You're not going blind Reimu," Marisa lied. She knew her friend's right eye was beyond saving.
"You don't understand what it is like for me. To live each day beyond your last. Filled with only burning hatred for one person. That is why I did it. So I could say suck it you lose!"
Mima disappeared, making rude hand gestures as her form disappeared. Mobius raised his pistol and fired at the disappearing spirit in rage. Marisa looked like she was about to explode.
"...That bitch!" Marisa yelled, standing up and throwing her hat to the ground. "She got away! Damn it! Damn it all to Hell!"
"Fear not, Miss Kirisame," Yukari groaned, holding the wound in her leg. "Justice will always catch up to those who cheat it. Especially her."
"Yeah?" Marisa deflected, throwing her arms up in the air. "She's gone. I can't beat her up for trying to pull a crazy stunt like that! I can't beat her up for trying to kill my friend, and I can't beat her up for making my best friend kiss me!"
"Never mind my sight..." Reimu whispered, slightly confused that Marisa was so upset by the idea of kissing. It was fake, so Reimu didn't see the issue.
"Stop being so over-dramatic!" Marisa scolded. "Your eye is going to be fine!"
"It's destroyed," Yukari corrected. "Seriously, I'm not sure if I could even correct that."
"Told you," Reimu smiled, before she felt faint. "I feel funny..."
"Blood loss is a terrible thing," Yukari said, holding the hand of her friend. "You're going to be fine though."
Mobius looked at his wound again. Blood stained the front of his flight suit. The wound itself was survivable, but the blood loss was his major concern. He reached into his breast pocket and produced a small sweat rag. He noticed a small oil stain on the handkerchief, before shrugging and mopping the blood away to get a clearer look at the slash. It was a decent hit by the ghost, but Mobius grinned. Nothing could ever kill him. Not Yellow Squadron, not a lucky hit on him at Whiskey Corridor, and certainly not a mere knife wound from a ghost. If he had survived air combat at its most brutal and close-range, he could survive a mere slash wound.
Mobius noticed the fairy dusting herself off. Cirno looked at the pilot, before hopping over using her wings. They looked at each other for a while, before shaking hands almost instinctively.
You did good today.
"You too," Cirno replied, not even caring about the sudden voice within her head. Cirno turned around to attend to Reimu again as Flandre shuffled past her, followed closely by a floating Yukari.
"Well, I suppose that you wish to go home," Yukari whispered, looking at Mobius.
I'm not too sure.
"What do you mean?" Yukari asked, adjusting her makeshift bandage on her wound. "Surely, you have something in your world to go back to?"
There is. I just don't feel like going back to it.
"The issue is, Mobius, is that I can tell you're not human. You are clearly more than human. But you are not a youkai either. You are something altogether more different. And surely, you bring a balance to your world."
The balance being fighting in every war for a century?
"Those wars would have gone on a lot longer had you not been there," Yukari stated. "I have seen those wars during some of my many excursions to various worlds. Had you not destroyed Stonehenge, then the Erusians would've controlled the Usean Continent under their fascist regime. Are you saying that you don't want to fight the next Erusea? Are you saying the cheers of the people of San Salvacion were not worth it?"
The next Erusea could be ISAF for all I know. The next war could be against the very same people I fought for. The next war may never happen. The point is, that world will go on with its ways, regardless of my presence. The world doesn't revolve around me.
"You end destructive wars and save millions of civilians," Yukari argued, getting sick of the pilot's attitude, but trying not to outright say that she simply didn't want to go to the trouble of appearing him in Gensokyo. "If the world doesn't revolve around you, then who does it revolve around?"
Mobius sighed, shocking Flandre, who believed him completely silent. He turned around and put his head in his hands, before turning back around and kneeling in front of Flandre.
I've decided that Yukari is right. The wars of my home world have to be ended by somebody. There is nobody else like me. I am the only one who can do it. So I'm going now. You will probably forget about me as your life goes on. You will forget these events, and you will forget my voice. Time marches forwards. But our acts live on forever. Flandre, ensure your acts are worth celebrating, and if nothing else, don't blow everything up, okay?
Flandre nodded. "I can't promise not blowing everything up, but the rest of that stuff I caught."
Heheh...Good job kid. Well, don't be too much of a menace to your sister, eat your vegetables and try not to blow up any more shrines, huh?
Flandre nodded, hugging Mobius.
"Goodbye, Mobi," Flandre whispered.
Goodbye, Flandre.
Mobius stood up, saluted the girl, who saluted back, before looking at Yukari.
Return to Base.
"Heh...hahaha!" Reimu laughed, the bleeding slowing up. "I don't think you appreciate just how much this hurts!"
"I can tell!" Marisa argued, trying to wrestle Reimu's hand away from her eye. "I mean, it sucks when I get an eyelash caught in there! Now move your hand!"
"I don't want to!"
"Stop being such a crybaby and let me see your eye!" Marisa grunted, handing the bloodstained cloth to Cirno for her to cool it again. "I didn't get a good enough look at it before."
"I can honestly die right now and not give a single damn," Reimu replied, before noticing Cirno holding her hand down to prevent her covering her eye. "Hey! Fairy! Give my arms back!"
Marisa grimaced as she examined the wound in detail. The eye was very much destroyed, as she previously guessed. Mima had slashed right through her face.
"If only I did something different..." Marisa said under her breath. There was no denying it. It was her fault Reimu was now half-blind. She was responsible. Marisa was never one to feel guilt, but when it was her best friend who was the victim of something beyond a mere material loss, she felt a lot different.
The fact of the matter was unchanged however. Reimu was grievously injured and Mima had gotten away. They had failed as resolvers to bring the culprit to justice.
"We failed, Reimu..." Marisa whispered sadly, before Reimu put a bloodied hand on her face.
"We don't fail, Marisa," Reimu replied, her hand shaking. "We just have unexpected delays."
"Hehe...normal service will resume in due time, huh?" Marisa laughed, her friend's words bringing her from her previous feelings of failure. Reimu's hand fell from her face. Marisa could feel something on her cheek. "And also, I'd appreciate it if you didn't wipe your bodily fluids on my face."
Reimu weakly laughed, before looking up to Yukari's face.
"Mobius One has returned to base," Yukari briefed. "Now, let's get you cleaned up. Your death would disappoint me."
Mobius slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He was back in his old, grey-wallpapered room. A clock on the wall read the time as 12:04 PM. The ISAF flag hung on the wall, next to the flag of the Republic of Delarus - Mobius' home country, or at least the one he remembered living in for most of his life.
Mobius unzipped his flight suit and checked his torso. His wound was still there, but the clothes had been repaired and there was no outer impression that he had taken an injury. Mobius stood up slowly and looked outside the window towards the runway in the distance - towards the pilots taking off on air patrols. He hoped that he hadn't missed anything at all in his three day absence.
He walked slowly towards the door of his room, before stepping into the quiet corridor.
Mobius paced down the corridor, before reaching a small ready room. To his surprise, there was somebody else there.
Sky Eye?
The tall man turned around from putting money into a vending machine, and looked at Mobius. "Mobius One? Where have you been?!"
This...is not going to be easy to explain...
"I've got time," Sky Eye replied, tapping his foot. He was fully aware of Mobius' ability as the fighter pilot had left him a note detailing his way of communicating. He searched around for a notepad, before finding some paper. He took a pen from his breast pocket. "Command went crazy after your disappearance. I better give them the good news after this."
Well, it all started when I woke up next to two women...
"I'm already liking where this is going," the officer laughed, sitting down on a plastic chair and sipping a can of cola, writing down Mobius' exact words.
It was nothing like that, Pierre. Basically, they got teleported from some place, and I got stuck with them. They were called Reimu and Marisa. They were kinda police officers from their home world.
Pierre stared at Mobius incredulously. The pilot was in a different world talking to police officers. "Mobius, forgive me if I offend, but I think you were high off something."
Nope, this was pretty real. Anyway, we saw a town and we headed towards it. They were talking about how they got there. They got called out to an attack at a shrine someplace, called Moria or Moriya. Then, a vampire girl named Flandre attacked them, and they fell into a portal in the confusion.
Pierre couldn't believe what he was hearing. Extra-dimensional police officers, portals, vampires, and Mobius was being dead serious about all of this. Pierre had worked for ISAF since its formation, and this was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard. Nevertheless, he continued writing out the story.
We found a house belonging to a pony-
"Mobius One," Pierre interrupted flatly. "I think you're lying. I think you went on an utter bender off base, did something embarrassing and you just don't want to confess to it."
Pierre, what I am telling you is the complete and honest truth. I couldn't make this up if I tried.
"Alright, continue this explanation. Just be aware that I'm beyond the point where I personally believe you," the AWACS officer replied. "I mean, I know we're friends, but there's a limit, you know?"
I understand. Thinking about it now, it seems completely stupid. Anyway, we managed to get a room in the pony's house, and we set up there. However, Flandre found a way through to the town. She attacked some of the pony military, so Marisa and I flew up to defeat her.
"Hold up, the ponies had fighter aircraft?"
No, Marisa and Reimu had the ability to fly through magic and some ponies had wings. I flew a broomstick with Marisa behind me. Yes, before you ask, she is a witch. So we fought Flan, and we eventually downed her. Reimu told the pony military to report Flandre dead, and we all went home. Turns out that she wasn't evil at all. She was just lost, and that she's prone to destroying things when panicked.
Mobius paused, taking in Pierre's expression of complete confusion, before continuing.
Pierre, that girl was actually one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She's also the most deadly. I'm gonna cut the story a bit short. We got arrested for some reason, I met an ice fairy named Cher-no or something like that, we escaped prison, and fought the pony air force's best aces while Flandre raised Hell on the ground.
Mobius One leaned in close to the AWACS officer.
That sweet little girl took out squads of heavily armed soldiers. Using a flamethrower.
"Mobius..." Pierre rubbed his now-wrinkled forehead and set his pen down. He had known Mobius for a long time, and he was normally a serious man who took life as seriously as he did flying, but here he was telling a tale of witches, ponies, vampires and battles. "I can't listen to another word. This is completely insane, illogical and against all reason..."
Yeah, I'm sorry, you're right, I made it up...
"What really happened, Mobius?"
...I got drunk and did something embarrassing. The only detail in that story that was real was waking up next to two women.
"The truth always comes out sometime. Don't worry, I can guess that it was really bad if you made that story up..." Pierre laughed, putting his arm around the pilot and leading him down the corridor, heading for the commander's office. "So, tell me about these women..."
The sun hung high in the midday sky. There was barely a cloud in sight. Some fairies flew around each other in circles, laughing in their little game. The wind blew gently to the North, bringing a cool breeze to the shade. Only the sounds of quiet brushing were audible.
Reimu ceased her brushing for a moment, looking over the shrine's front. The petals from nearby flowers and trees were gone, swept away by the wind and the broom. Reimu adjusted the leather eyepatch over her right eye, and traced the scar across her face. It had become her habit to do so. Reimu blinked her one good eye and sighed as that fateful day's events played over and over again in her head. Mima had escaped. Yukari, Mobius and herself were badly injured and Yukari's attempts to fix the crisis in Equestria were heavily resisted by their army until Yukari saved their princess. The gap youkai told the story about how a younger princess, who controlled the Moon, had attempted to rouse her sister from her slumber. Yukari knew that the coma was caused by Mima misusing her powers, and it was the same reason why the Royal Guard had acted with such callousness during the night of their arrest. Mima had messed with boundaries that Yukari herself had not touched in years.
Reimu headed back inside and looked at the white box on her table. Yukari had sent it to her as a Get Well present - a box of 'Yorkshire tea.' Reimu moved her hand in front of her to pick the box up, however she misjudged the distance and knocked the box over. She felt her scar and eyepatch again, and sighed. Another hand came from her blind side and picked the box up.
"Still getting used to it, huh?" Marisa's voice asked.
"Don't think I ever will," Reimu replied. "I've got to learn how to fight all over again. Wait until word spreads around about how I can't see out of one side. Everybody's danmaku will be coming from the right then."
"But on the bright side, that scar looks pretty awesome," Marisa complimented.
"Really? We're going with 'scars are cool looking' to cheer me up?" Reimu asked, sitting down and holding her head in her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I think it's pretty cool," Marisa reassured. "...Still doesn't change the fact that it was my fault..."
"How many times- It wasn't your fault! You couldn't have seen it coming!" Reimu scolded. "Stop blaming yourself for it!"
"Jeez, sorry for being concerned for you!" Marisa argued back.
"...So I heard that Cirno's managed to calm the general fairy populations down," Reimu whispered, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah."
"And Yukari has returned Flandre?"
"Flandre got home," Marisa confirmed. "Heard that Remilia wasn't even angry by that point."
Marisa rooted around her pocket for a breath mint, before feeling a piece of paper. She grabbed it and produced the picture that Flandre had drawn.
"...I guess I forgot to return this to her," Marisa said to herself.
"Return what?"
Marisa spun around, and looked into the eyes of the vampire's maid.
"Oh...err..." Marisa stuttered, before Sakuya snatched the drawing from her hand. The maid examined it with a smirk.
"...Stealing a child's drawings, are we?" Sakuya laughed. "I guess that Miss Knowledge's books weren't turning a profit at your fence?"
"Hey! I don't have a fence!" Marisa lied.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Sakuya teased playfully. "Or judging by my position, when I don't."
"I told you! I only borrow things!"
"Borrowing ends when you sell the good to a shady person in a dark alley," Sakuya replied. "I know you types."
"If you're done insulting me, why are you here?" Marisa asked.
"The mistress heard of your condition, Miss Hakurei," Sakuya introduced, turning to Reimu.
"Great," Reimu sighed.
"She wishes to offer her sincerest sympathies, and she once again thanks you for the safe return of her sister," Sakuya explained. She reached into her pocket. "Furthermore, she has authorized me to make a small donation."
Sakuya pushed a small wad of notes into Reimu's hands.
"...Thank you," Reimu said slowly.
"Not a problem," Sakuya replied, turning to leave, before grinning. "In addition, I hear that you two have...become closer than friends."
"No! It isn't like that at all! I did it so that I could whisper to Marisa without Mima hearing!" Reimu explained, head in her hands. "Now I wish I fought her and gotten all of us killed. I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
"To be fair, it was a very...sincere peck," Marisa countered. "I was really unsure of what to make of it."
"...Okay, maybe I was a little too zealous in that remark," Reimu admitted. "But I had to make it look real!"
"In my view, you subconsciously wish for it to have been real," Sakuya smirked, enjoying Marisa's discomfort with the topic as much as Reimu's embarrassment. It was a rare opportunity where she got to make people tense up by merely talking. "You want to undo every little button on the witch's clothing, to admire her body as she invites you beneath the covers for the ultimate bond between a couple. You want to hear every gasp, every moan and every little whisper of your name."
"Okay, have you thought about a career in writing?" Marisa countered, tensing up in obvious discomfort. "That's creepy how you thought of all that on the spot!"
"I have a natural creativity," Sakuya giggled. She turned around again to leave, still holding the picture. "Were it not for my hours, I would consider it."
"Uh huh. You do that," Reimu replied, holding the money. She watched the maid leave. "That was creepy."
"I know right?" Marisa laughed nervously. She looked at Reimu's facial scar, and thought about how it impacted her appearance. The scar was still red and fresh. Marisa had asked Yukari to fix the damage completely, but the gap youkai insisted that she could not play favorites when it came to injuries and matters of that sort, and that she needed to be consistent - If she healed Reimu, she would have to heal everybody.
"Can you stop staring at my face, please?" Reimu asked.
"I wasn't staring!" Marisa defended.
Reimu stood up and walked outside. She looked at a distant fairy battle in the sky.
"They get smarter every day, don't they?" Marisa observed, noticing the complex manoeuvres of the fairies. "Maybe in fifty years, they'll be a challenging opponent."
"Heh. Yeah..." Reimu nodded. She looked at her friend. "Maybe they'll help an old woman out and shoot from the left, eh?"
"Oh, stop it," Marisa replied. "I don't think a little thing like half-blindness is going to stop you, Reimu."
"...Yeah, you're right. Just because Mima took my eye, doesn't mean she took anything else. And at the end of the day, who's alive?"
"Yeah. You can walk into your shrine right now and eat something. She can't do that," Marisa said.
"Maybe that's why she's that evil. Not only does she want to see my head on a platter because of my great-great-great-grandmother, but she's unable to experience simple things. I would feel sorry for her, but she did attempt to destroy a planet."
"You know, one thing's bothered me..." Marisa muttered. "She called herself my mother."
"She was trying to get at you, I think," Reimu answered. "Trying to make you think twice about attacking her."
"With a mother like her, I wonder how I didn't get screwed up..." Marisa wondered, watching as one fairy finally lost the battle.
"Your parents don't make you the person you become. There are other factors," Reimu explained.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes.
"This is good...just, the quiet after an Incident. We all get to relax, the issue is solved, everyone's happy."
"You got that right..." Reimu agreed, watching the sky darken as the sun went behind the clouds. "It's not a perfect life, but it's one Hell of a life."
The two friends stood closely side by side, watching in silence as the sun started to descend from its noon position.
"So Mobius went home. Shame, I actually kinda liked the guy. Kept Flandre quiet for us," Marisa observed. "I bet Remilia's gonna comb the world for another fighter pilot to keep her sister calm."
"Hehe, yeah. I'm glad I didn't have to look after her," Reimu replied. "I am not good with children."
"Considering that every time you've met somebody who looks like a child. you've beaten them up, I believe you," Marisa joked. "So, you reckon that Rarity and the other guy got on?"
"I hope so," Reimu replied. She sighed and leaned against the exterior wall. "Still can't believe Mima got away..."
"We'll get her next time," Marisa reassured. "...I just hope we never deal with a Class Zero again."
Suddenly, Marisa was hit by a sudden realisation. It was the most important realisation she ever had in her life.
"I forgot to ask Yukari if she could get that chocolate cereal!" Marisa cried, holding her head in her hands. "If I have to spend the rest of my life without that cereal I'll most likely kill myself!"
"Ah, I'll ask her next time," Reimu assured, putting her hand on Marisa's shoulder. "I owe you a box."
The shrine maiden walked out in front of the witch and looked up to the sky in thought. She had fought much more dangerous opponents over her life, and not one ever inflicted more than minor wounds on her. However, just by simply disregarding Spell Card rules, Mima had blinded her in one eye. She thanked herself for making the rules up. At least everybody had to give her a fair chance, and fighting didn't require a false surrender and almost getting her throat slashed.
She suddenly became all the more thankful that most people in Gensokyo did not wish lethal harm upon her, and if they did, they did not wish it for long.
And maybe Marisa was right. Maybe with the eyepatch, her reputation as a powerful fighter would improve, as she will still defeat people who had the advantage of two eyes.
Reimu smiled, freely swinging her arms at her side.
"You want a quick duel, Marisa? I've been dying for a proper battle."
